Momentos
by Goldmineempire5
Summary: Tyson and Hilary- My OTP from Beyblade and the one of the most loved canonical pairings, second being RayxMariah, have just entered parenthood. A small drabble to celebrate
1. Chapter 1

**This story focuses on my OTP from my other favorite anime, Beyblade. So i have managed to written a small drabble.**

 **Tyhil forever.**

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Hilary had just laid her newborn daughter, freshly fed and changed, into her cot. The baby was peacefully sleeping - for once. It had been a rough adjustment, going from carrying a baby inside her for nine months, to having an infant requiring constant attention.

She gazed down at the baby, marvelling at the fine dusting of dark brown hair that covered her head. Although the baby's eyes were currently closed, Hilary remembered her excitement at discovering the infant had inherited those incredible dark blue eyes from her father.

The mother of 3 days heard her husband enter the room, and then felt his arms wrapping around her from behind. Tyson kissed the top of her head, and then rested his chin on it. "Finally got her to sleep, huh? What did you use, Chloroform or sleeping pills?" he quipped.

Hilary leaned back into his embrace. "Yeah. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll have a half hour before she wakes up." She turned around and slipped her arms around her husband's waist as he continued to hold her. "I'm sorry Tyson."

"For what?" he asked, sounding confused.

"For neglecting you lately. I feel like we've barely had a chance to spend any time together since Vanessa arrived. She's constantly needs my attention, and this is all so new for me."

The blunette lifted his wife's chin so they could lock eyes.

"Sweetheart, you don't need to apologize. I knew things were going to change once she arrived. I told you that I would be jealous about no longer having your undivided attention, but that was before. Now that our bundle of joy is here, I derive great satisfaction in watching your play with her." His lips touched Hilary's in a tender, reverent kiss.

Hilary shifted to turn towards their sleeping daughter once again. "It was fun introducing her to everyone this morning, wasn't it? Everyone was thrilled to meet our baby at last. We've had such wonderful support through the whole time I was pregnant. I know a few people would have liked to hold her, but I didn't want to take any chances on her picking up any germs."

"I wouldn't have wanted to hand her over to anyone else yet anyway…except when Daichi tried to snatch her from me one time. But I'm glad she slept on me through most of the service."

"It was wonderful to see the way you were holding her so carefully. The funniest part was when she woke and started rooting around because she was hungry."

"Well, my finger sufficed for about a minute, until she realized there was no milk in it! That baby has one strong suction action."

Hilary laughed. "Now you can see why it hurts me sometimes when she latches on to begin feeding. Those first few seconds can be quite painful."

"I love watching you when you're breast-feeding."

"Watching me or my breast?" Hilary asked playfully.

"Both," Tyson mused, earning a playful smack on the forehead, 'But seriously, you get this look about you when you're watching her as she feeds...so beatific."

"Well, Vanessa is a miracle after all. Every baby is. She's our little angel" Hilary whispered, while looking lovingly at the baby.

"I know. So perfectly formed with ten tiny toes, ten tiny fingers. She's absolutely perfect Hilary, and we made her. That's the most unreal part of it all, that she is a combination of us. Definitely our best experiment."

"Even if she decided to make her entrance more than a week late. I was beginning to think she was going to stay inside me, and I would be pregnant forever."

"Better late than never, darling." Then, "Hey, do you know what today is?" asked the World Champion unexpectedly, turning Hilary's face towards his again.

"Sunday!" supplied his wife helpfully.

"Not the day Hil. The Significance! Today marks the one year anniversary of when I finally had my emotional breakthrough, when I finally admitted to myself, and to you, that I loved you."

"Oh! I hadn't even thought of that. I've been rather preoccupied lately."

"I know you have. It's a day I'll never forget though. If it weren't for that tournament in Paris, we wouldn't be standing here today, and we definitely wouldn't be looking at our child. Who knows how much longer I would have continued to deny my feelings for you?" This time when Tyson kissed his wife, there was a hint of passion in it, to which Hilary responded by threading her fingers through his luxurious locks.

Several long minutes passed as the new parents enjoyed their first proper kiss since the baby had been born earlier that month. "How much longer do we have to wait before we can make love again?" asked Tyson once they parted for air.

"At least another four weeks, according to the doctor. It isn't easy pushing out a nine pound baby you know. My body still needs to heal."

"Four weeks? Remind we why we wanted a baby?"

"You can't complain. We had nine months without having to deal with my monthly cycle, and while I'm breast-feeding, once I've actually recovered from giving birth, I will probably still not have to worry about the monthly visitor."

"That would be good news, except for the fact that I have to share your breasts with Vanessa."

"It is what it is, honey. You'll get them back eventually."

"Well, my love, how are we going to celebrate the one year anniversary of my emotional breakthrough?"

"I'm not certain I want to really celebrate it. That wasn't actually the best day for me. It took you three days to come to me and explain, and they were the worst three days of my life, because I thought I must have been mistaken in thinking you really meant that second 'I love you.'"

"You know I was trying to think about how to move forward. Besides, I did manage to buy an engagement ring in that time and propose to you when I came to see you."

"True. I have to admit I'm glad you didn't drag your feet once you'd made up your mind. I mean, after being in love with you for seven years, I was definitely ready for a commitment. I'm still amazed that you were, actually."

"I suppose we did progress things in a rather unorthodox manner, without actually having a dating relationship before we got engaged. I didn't want to be just your boyfriend though. We'd been seeing each other for years and as friends too."

"What we lacked in experience, we certainly made up for in enthusiasm on our wedding night," Hilary grinned.

"Hey, you made me wait ten and a half weeks, what did you expect? Besides, I could say the same for you."

Tyson drew his head down to hers for a very long, sensual kiss before responding. "I don't regret waiting. It made things all the sweeter for us. We've shared a lot more firsts since then, and each is better than the last." She placed another lingering kiss on her husband's lips.

"Don't kiss me like that Hilary," groaned Tyson. "You're going to make me have to go back to taking cold showers again for a few weeks."

"Not necessarily," winked his wife.

A small cry came from the cot and Hilary immediately went to pick up the infant.

"Perfect timing," groaned the beyblader.

Hilary walked over to the rocking chair in the small room, unfastening her nursing bra as she went. "Sorry, sweetheart. I have to take care of Vanessa right now." After the baby had begun to suckle, she looked up at Tyson. "But I promise you, I'll take care of you later."

And of course, being a very good wife, she did.


	2. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Birthday Gift

**I didnt knew when Tyson's birthday was so i just made this one up. Also have added some sad part where Hilary lost her baby brother (which is completely unrelated to the anime) So enjoy!**

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The jelly felt cold on her abdomen, the soothing noise of the ultrasound machine was calming her nerves slightly but she still felt her heart beating so loud it dulled her hearing. She tried to control her breathing but was all too aware of her heaving chest.

"What do you see?" She asked the doctor in what she hoped was a breezy, casual voice.

"Well, your suspicions were correct, there is a little someone in there" he smiled "you're about three weeks along, but everything looks great."

Mariah gasped next to her, Hilary turned to see her beaming wider. "Congratulations honey!" She said and hugged her. "Does Tyson know you're here?"

"No he's out on a run today, it's his birthday - not that he probably even remembers - so I wanted to surprise him."

"I'll print you out a picture" smiled the Doctor "and I'll want to see you again in four weeks' time... Congratulations."

He went to go and set up the printer. Hilary and Mariah sat in silence staring at the screen. As the little blue blob danced against the black background, Hilary suddenly felt like she had been hit by a train...

Her eyes stung as she remembered the only other time she had been sat in front of a sonogram. Her precious Vanessa, her sweet baby girl, their first child. It seemed a thousand lifetimes ago but she remembered it as clear as day, the sonographer confirming that everything was ok, the feeling of happiness swelling inside her as the weeks of nausea and exhaustion had been worth it.

She remembered carrying her inside her, the feeling when she kicked and moved. She remembered endless days spent talking to the bump, promising her every happiness in the world. It all seemed to take so long then; those nine months waiting to meet her had felt like nine years. " _It wasn't enough time_ " she thought with a pang, wishing she had treasured those days more. The days when she was safe inside her.

She remembered the day she was born, the feeling of pushing her out of her body. The agony but excitement as she made her way into the world. The warm feeling of her skin against hers...That first cry...The night they brought her home, holding her as though she was made from glass. Even in the bassinet right next to the bed she was too far away from her.

Her sweet girl, she promised her so much. She wanted to travel the world with her, to teach her everything, to never ever let her feel pain. She was crying now, the tears spilling uncontrollably down her cheeks, her shoulders heaving with sobs.

"Hey..." Mariah next to her, Mariah who had lost so much to this world, Mariah whose eyes were full of empathetic pain for her friend "come here."

No more words were said as Mariah held her tight; she let Hilary cry until she was empty. Her head drifted to Tyson, unaware and out with Kenny and Max. She couldn't wait to tell him, to see his face, to celebrate with him. He has wanted a baby with her for so long, and it was finally happening.

"Come on" Mariah said quietly, holding the sonogram picture from Doctor Carson "I'll get Ray to drive you home."

...

"Vanessa, where's your Dad?" Hilary said as soon as she entered the front door.

"He's still out" said the preschooler.

"Ok good, we're gonna cook him a surprise dinner ok? You know it's his birthday right?"

Vanessa snorted "Yes Mom. I could never forget that. "

"Well let's go bake a cake."

She got to work in the kitchen, finding an unused box and wrapping it in any paper she could find. She sniggered to herself; it looked like Daichi had made it. She tied her dressing gown ribbon around it, cut up an old lace top and adorned the outside. She placed it in the middle of the table and set to work cooking.

Spaghetti bolognaise was Tyson's favourite, though their pantry was well stocked she still had to make a few adjustments. " _Hope he still likes lentils_ " she thought, bulking out the chopped mushrooms she had used to replace ground beef. When he was out just for the day, he was never home past seven (they had put this in place so that people knew when to go looking for each other) and so at 6:45 she called Vanessa down from her room.

"Sweety! Come and set the table! And get the cake from the refrigerator." She called merrily.

"What's in the box?" Vanessa looked at her with her eyes narrowed and a smile on his face "and where did you go today?"

"All will be revealed" she said, smiling widely.

"Oh come on...What is it?"

"Ok" she said, excitedly "what if I told you...You're gonna have a baby brother?''

"For real!?" Her smile was wide.

"For real..." She said as he hugged her.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! And Dad doesn't know? He's gonna be so excited!" She jumped up and down in joy.

She was still smiling as her daughter sat down tucking into the garlic bread (well, it was some kind of flavour anyway. Made from whatever Hilary could find in the cupboard.)

"Hey" she slapped her hand away from grabbing more "wait till Dad gets here! And don't give the game away."

... she groaned.

"Honey...I'm home" came her favourite southern drawl, walking through the door at bang on 6:55. "Damn, something smells GOOD!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Vanessa and Hilary cried in unison...Showering him with makeshift confetti.

"What?!" He chuckled "it's my birthday?" He surveyed the table...the plates and glasses all laid out, candles in the middle of the table, what looked like one of Hilary's made chocolate cakes and the box that contained his gift. Gratefully, she exceled at cooking over the years.

"January 25th right? Well that's today."

"Well I never..." he began, walking towards the table "what's in the box?"

"It's your present...Open it."

He untied the ribbon, taking a painstakingly long time. He stopped as he opened it, he looked from the box, to Hilary in disbelief, his hands were shaking as he lifted out the picture.

"Is this...Is this our baby?" His eyes were wide, his words sticking in his throat as he looked at her "honey?"

She nodded "I'm pregnant."

His eyes were welling up, he let out a quiet chuckle and made his way over to her, holding her belly with both hands so gently as if she was suddenly made of glass. He picked her up and spun her round, his face buried in her shoulder. "I can't believe it, we're gonna have a baby!" He wiped away happy tears and turned to Vanessa "did you know about this?" Vanessa nodded.

"Congratulations guys" he smiled, as Tyson pulled her into their hug too.

"Dad! Can't breathe" Vanessa gasped, they all laughed.

"Sit down honey" Tyson quickly grabbed Hilary a chair "I'll sort dinner."

"Oh don't be ridiculous" she chuckled and went to serve dinner.

"Kind of makes my gift seem bad in comparison..." he reached into his pocket and pulled out an expensive bottle of shampoo and put it on the table.

Hilary giggled "no way, baby. But that better not be the only bottle."

"Daichi made the mistake of opening the box in front of everybody, I was lucky to get that one. It was like a zoo!" His face distorted in mock horror.

She surveyed the scene in front of her, Tyson messing around with Vanessa, him looking at the sonogram picture ("I just can't figure out where the baby is!") and eating the garlic bread again. Her mind wondered back again to the night she lost her younger brother, the night she made a decision. That even though all she wanted to do was curl up on the ground and disappear, she would carry on. She knew he was with her every step of the way, he was her strength every time she got knocked back, Tyson was what guided her to this new life. The biggest part of her heart would always belong to him. But, she knew as she looked at her family, there was still plenty of room left.

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 **So i just happened to stumble upon a page where some Kaihil shipper has bragged a lot about their "hints''. Very well, now i am gonna rerun the entire Beyblade V-Force and G Revolution Series** **and then we'll see which pairing has more hints. ITS ON!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Good News

Hilary Granger slid her hands up and down the steering wheel of her Honda Civic, streaking sweat across the plastic. Her hands were so shaky and clammy she could barely keep a hold on the wheel. She tried to keep her somewhat spotty vision focused on the road ahead of her. The highway in rush hour was no place to be losing her focus.

"It's okay, Hilary," she assured herself rather breathlessly. "It's nothing serious. You'll be fine. Even if it is true, you'll be fine. You've got nothing to worry about. Don't let the past get you going. You'll be fine." Even so, she wished that Tyson were with her. He would be able to calm her down. Get her to see that everything would be just fine, no matter what. Assure her that just because things didn't work out the first time didn't mean things would go poorly this time.

Her throat constricted as she recalled the arduous events that had transpired three years prior. Her and Tyson, married for nine months at the time, decided to try for their first child. Everything had gone exactly as planned at first. However, things had quickly descended from heaven to hell when, during her second trimester, she'd miscarried. It had been a devastating blow to the both of them. They'd both fallen into the deep recesses of depression for many months. They fought a lot; there was even one time she could recall when he walked out. Of course, he came back the next morning, but the next several weeks after that had consisted of a lot of tiptoeing around and quiet talk.

It was only just a month ago or so when they finally began to accept what had happened. They both started attending grief counseling sessions together, which seemed to provide them both with some form of closure. Of course, things still weren't perfect. Tyson still had his episodes, and Hilary still cried. But alas, that was to be expected. After all, it hadn't quite been six months since they lost the baby. Nobody in their right mind would have expected them to have recovered enough to move on with their lives.

They had resumed their sex life only recently. Months of disconsolateness and grief during had taken the spark out of their romance. During those months the last thing on either of their minds was sex. Dealing with the anger and despair that each day brought meant that the idea of fun seemed worlds away.

When they'd had their first night together in months just a short while prior, Hilary had never expected it to end with a missed period. She thought Tyson had enough sense in him after all that had happened to at least play it safe. She'd trusted him to take the necessary precautions before and during the act. The idea that she was wrong to trust him was hitting her harder than the idea that she could be pregnant again. That she had another tiny little life inside of her; a life that could be stomped out just as easily as the last one's. She could lose this one, just like she'd lost the last one. That thought scared her more than anything else in the world.

It was why she'd kept her suspicions totally to herself. She just hoped all of the stress she'd been under was the reason for her missed period. Of course, the odds of three positive pregnancy tests all being wrong were slim, but a woman could dream. She just wanted to hear the doctor say those words. Tell her that she wasn't pregnant. She just wanted to go home with the knowledge that she was safe. Naturally she'd have to berate her husband for his carelessness, but she had a feeling he was expecting it. She had a feeling that he knew, somehow, and was just waiting for her to say it.

But she hadn't. She hadn't said a word to him; hadn't told him that she thought she was pregnant. She didn't want to see the terror on his face. Didn't want to watch as he broke down into a sorry mess worrying himself over the things that could happen. The things that would happen.

Her teeth gnashed against her inner cheek as she pulled her car into the parking lot of Dr. Reynolds' office. She swallowed hard, not wanting to get out of the car. After spending several moments debating with her heart, she cracked open the door and stepped out onto the dry, cracked pavement.

Wiping the sweat off of her palms, she shut the door and walked up to the entrance. She smiled kindly as a young man held the door for her, and stepped inside. The cool A/C hit her face much like the refreshing breeze she was used to from her and Tyson's beachfront home. It was definitely a sharp change from the beating July heat of the outside, and she was grateful for it. At the very least, the heat would serve as a good enough excuse for the sweat that covered her from head to toe. Trying her best not to look scared out of her mind, she traipsed up to the front desk.

"Hello!" the woman behind the wooden structure chirped. Her beady little eyes sparkled in a warm, welcoming manner that Hilary appreciated. "What can I do for you today?"

Hilary put her arms up on the counter, trying her best to look normal. "I've got an appointment with Dr. Reynolds."

She nodded. "Of course. I'll let him know you're here."

"Thank you."

Seeing as she had no more reason to just stand there, Hilary moved over to the waiting room. As she sat down in the first empty seat she came across, she couldn't help but feel a sudden rush of emotions. She bit back tears as she recalled the first time she'd come to see Dr. Reynolds, when she and Tyson had first found out they were expecting. They had both been so excited and nervous. She remembered Tyson sitting next to her, keeping his hand on her stomach the entire time. She recalled the sweet looks and kind, congratulatory words they got from passersby. Neither of them could have fathomed the idea of losing their first child before it was even out of the womb. If only things had gone the way they were supposed to. If only he were here right now.

She let her uptight gaze travel around the room, taking in the other young, expectant couples. One young woman seemed to be very far along, sitting alongside her husband. His face was irradiated with a look of pure joy; he looked as if someone had just given him the winning lottery ticket. Hilary figured his partner was almost at full term.

Others in the small room were not quite so far along. In fact, most of them looked to be at the same stage as Hilary... if she was in fact pregnant. She felt a sudden, odd feeling as she thought about how all of the children her child could potentially become friends with were technically in the room with her. Maybe even her son or daughter's future husband or wife. How weird would that be? Thinking of it, she couldn't help but crack the first smile she'd broken all day.

"Hilary Granger?"

Her head snapped to the side. One of the nurses was standing at the entrance to the waiting room, looking around the room quizzically. Slowly, Hilary got out of her chair and walked over to her. "I'm here."

The young woman nodded. "Yes, of course. Right this way, ma'am."

The whitecoat led the brunette down several winding hallways and into a small white room. Knowing full well how things worked, Hilary boosted herself up onto the examination table and waited for the questions.

They came, of course. She was asked many things, from her reason for the appointment to her level of discomfort to whether or not she was allergic to any medication. She answered each and every one of them honestly albeit impatiently. Even though she knew that they were coming, she still couldn't help but want them over with. She just wanted to see the doctor and be done with it.

After the questions came the pre-exam. The nurse took her temperature, her blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pulse. She checked her ears, eyes, and throat. She asked her to proceed through the usual pregnancy test procedures. Hilary sat rigid through the entire thing, hoping her fear wasn't apparent. She took a deep breath, trying to remain stoic.

At last, the nurse wheeled backward. She looked at Hilary with a knowing stare, a small smile curling the corners of her lips.

"Are you nervous?"

Hilary deflated. Her acting hadn't been good enough after all. "Yes," she admitted. Her voice was small and weak. "My husband and I... miscarried the first time, and I've been nervous as hell ever since I got suspicious."

She nodded understandingly. "That's perfectly normal. Every woman has a right to be nervous, but you have double that reason." She patted her knee. "Just have faith. This time, things will work out. You have to believe that; not only for your sake, but for your husband's as well."

She nodded, tears pricking at the backs of her eyes. "I know. It's just hard. After we lost the baby, my husband and I went through a rough time. We almost split. I just... I don't want something like that to happen ever again."

"The strongest relationships are the ones that can make it through the toughest situations," she murmured, almost to herself. Louder, she said, "If you and your husband managed to stay together through the roughest time of your lives, you'll be fine now. I haven't even seen you together, and I can tell the love between you is strong." She stood up. "You'll both make fine parents, when the time comes. Stay strong, and never stop believing in the power of love."

Hilary didn't respond. As the woman left, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd been through something similar. She had sounded so knowing as she talked, as if she was able to see into the future and knew that everything would be okay. Hilary found her eyes drifting to her stomach as she wondered if she had any reason to believe that love alone would be enough.

As she waited for the doctor, she leaned back on the examination seat. Her eyes wandered up to the stark white ceiling as she listened to the faint hum of other doctors, patients, and nurses. Dr. Reynolds' office was home to four doctors, all OBGYNs. That meant that the office was always buzzing with activity, no matter what the time. Almost any young couple you talked to in the area would tell you the same thing- that they had gone to Dr. Reynolds or one of his co-workers. His practice was like a monopoly in the Tokyo medicine business.

After what could have been twenty minutes or twenty years, the door to the exam room opened. Hilary's head snapped to the right as Dr. Reynolds himself stepped in. He was a relatively young man, perhaps in his early thirties, with thick black hair and bright blue eyes behind a pair of smart folk glasses. He smiled at Hilary as he stepped into the room, clipboard in hand.

"How are you today, Mrs. Granger?"

"Pretty nervous, honestly," she disclosed. Dr. Reynolds had always made her feel comfortable. She felt as if she could always be open and honest with him, no matter what. It was the reason she'd chosen to come back to him for what she hoped wasn't number two.

He chuckled. "After everything you've been through? You have every reason to be." He pulled over the rolling chair and sat down. Clicking his pen into the writing position, he looked at her expectantly. "So you called yesterday and made this appointment. You told the receptionist that you're suspicious of being pregnant. Have I got that correct, or did they give me the wrong sheet again?"

She smiled at that. "Yes, that's correct. Tyson and I had intercourse, and then I missed my period, so..."

He nodded, a knowing glint in his eyes. "I see." Leaning back in his chair, he said, "Have you taken any kind of pregnancy test?"

She nodded. "Three. All positive." Her voice squeaked on the word "positive".

He scribbled something down on his clipboard. "One of the nurses is currently looking at what you gave us from your tests. The results should be back shortly."

The thought of getting the results back and knowing for sure whether or not she was pregnant got Hilary breaking out in a cold sweat. She dug her nails into the foam padding on the examination table, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy.

She felt a strong hand on her leg. "Are you alright, Mrs. Granger?"

The young woman sucked in a big breath, her eyes fluttering closed, then open again. "Yeah," she breathed. "The thought of knowing just has me a bit concerned."

He pursed his lips. "I see. Well, at least we're getting the scary part over with, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." Even so, she couldn't help the worry that gnawed at her belly. It felt like someone was taking her stomach and rolling it down a hill. She felt like puking, but didn't all the same. She'd never felt so strange in all her life. She tried some of the breathing exercises her counselor had advised for when she got worked up, praying to the Lord above that she didn't have a panic attack or something embarrassing like that.

She was right in the middle of one of several exercises when there was a knock at the door. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard it. A soft, muffled male voice came from the opposite side. "Anyone in?"

"Yes," Dr. Reynolds' booming voice answered. He gave me an assuring look and stood up, opening the door just a bit. A single piece of paper passed through. With nimble fingers the OBGYN took it before letting the door shut. Sitting himself back down, he examined the paper.

This was it. Hilary's heart began to slam against her ribcage, sending sharp, painful vibrations through her chest. She struggled to keep her breathing steady, aware of what the consequences of having a panic attack now would be. Her leg shook in an anxious, jittery way; blood pounding in her ears. No longer able to take it, she found her voice.

"What's the diagnosis, doctor?" she asked nervously.

Dr. Reynolds smiled sweetly. "Hilary, my dear, it seems that I'll be putting in a prescription for some prenatal pills, because you're pregnant."

Hilary stared at him. She wasn't sure what to think. Should she be happy? Angry? Terrified? She didn't know.

So she laughed. And cried.

The last thing she remembered clearly was Dr. Reynolds giving her a great big hug and handing her a prescription for some pill, with instructions to come back in two weeks. The next thing she knew, she was pulling into the driveway of her home, armed with the knowledge that her life was about to change forever.

But as soon as she walked inside and saw him, it all came crashing down.

He was sitting on the couch, watching recaps of Championship Tournaments on T.V. As soon as she came in, he flicked off the set and got up to meet her. She noticed the anxiousness in his eyes.

"How was it?" he asked quietly.

Hilary pursed her lips. Taking his hand, she lead him toward the living room. "Honey, we need to talk about something. Something big."

She felt Tyson give her hand a little squeeze, and returned it. She hoped he wouldn't break down as she expected him to. She wasn't sure if she could handle that. She sat him down carefully. Slowly. Taking a deep breath, she began what was likely the hardest speech she'd made in a while.

"I know how hard everything has been for you and I these past few months. I know how hard we both took the baby's... death. I know it almost tore apart our marriage. That's why I waited to tell you this. I didn't want to tell you until I was absolutely sure. Until I saw the doctor and got an actual confirmation. But... now I am sure. The results came back, and... I'm pregnant."

She saw a mix of emotions swirl in his eyes like the waves outside. Surprise. Confusion. Then... happiness.

She let out a loud squeal of surprise as he suddenly picked her up, lifting her high into the air as he used to do when they were first married. He spun her around, letting out a sharp cry of joy. "You can't be serious!?" He asked incredulously.

Hilary nodded, tears of joy - not pain - pouring down her face. "I'm serious!" she cried, the words bubbling in her throat. "We're going to have a baby, Tyson! We got another chance!"

He pulled her into a tight embrace, crying into her hair. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it, I just can't believe it!" he repeated over and over again. He spun them around again, before losing his balance and falling over on to the couch. For the first time in months, they both laughed gaily, their arms and legs tangled together.

"I'm gonna be a dad," he murmured suddenly, his voice right next to his wife's ear.

She smiled broadly. "And I'm gonna be a mom."

He kissed her then. She melted into it; kissing him out of love rather than passion or need. She could have stayed like that for eternity, but he pulled away. She found her big brown eyes staring into his own brown ones. They shimmered with tears as he beamed lovingly down at her.

"I love you, Hilary. Do you love me?"

She laughed, pulling him down for another kiss. "Always, you big buffoon. Always."


	4. Chapter 4: Pretending to be Mommy!

**I'm just so much in love with this couple i can't help but uploading! Here you go, another fluffy one shot. Enjoy!**

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"Look, Mummy, I'm you!" Vanessa declared, walking into Tyson and Hilary's bedroom. She'd stuffed a small pillow up her shirt in a feeble imitation of Hilary's very pregnant belly.

"Hey pumpkin," Tyson greeted her, standing up from where he been sitting on the bed.

"Where's Mummy?" Vanessa asked, tilting her head, obviously confused.

"She's taking a shower," Tyson told her, gesturing toward the closed door to the master bathroom.

"Then why you not helping her?" Vanessa asked.

"Because someone needs to take care of you."

"I take care of myself. And I know you seen Mummy naked before."

Tyson bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing; three-year-olds never hesitated from saying what they thought, no matter how untoward it might be.

"How?" Tyson asked, hoping Vanessa wouldn't notice the laugh in his voice. She didn't.

"I heard Mummy tell Aunt Emily you helped her take baths when I was in her tummy."

"I can't do that when you're running around the house, Princess."

"Then I'll go to bed," Vanessa stated, taking the pillow out from under her shirt. She left the room, her bare feet making a pitter-patter as she ran down the hardwood hallway.

Tyson took the pillow, which Vanessa had conveniently left in the doorway, and put it on his bed. Hilary's laughter came from the other side of the door, and Tyson walked over to it.

"She's so funny," Hilary laughed. "I hope this next one is the same." She mused rubbing a hand over her bloated belly.

"She's willing to go to bed early for you, Hil. How often does that happen?"

"Not nearly as often as cuddles with you. I think she might be out to steal you from me."

"Maybe Nash will be more of a Mummy's kid," Tyson suggested.

"We never actually agreed on that name, Mister" Hilary pointed out.

"No, but we both like it, at least as a middle name. And we need to choose soon."

"Two more weeks, I know. But he's going to be a half Tachibana, so we'd need to choose a more suitable middle name."

Tyson tried to figure out what that meant, but gave up quickly. He didn't even bother arguing over the matter.

"Okay Daddy, I ready for bed," Vanessa announced, sauntering over to him. She'd dressed herself in a nightgown and was combing her fingers through her thick curls.

"Did you brush your teeth?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Show me." He inspected.

Vanessa smiled, scrunching up her whole face to show all her teeth. "Let's brush them again just to make sure," Tyson told her, lifting her onto his hip.

"Then Mummy will have to wait long."

"Only a few minutes."

"Or…" Vanessa said, lowering her voice to a whisper in Tyson's ear- or as close to a whisper as a toddler could get, anyways, "you could just floss."

Tyson was expecting her to say that. There were certain things Tyson and Hilary had decided their children would have to do the Granger way

"Just this once," Tyson said, picking up his wand from the top of the dresser.

"Yay!" Vanessa said, opening her mouth wide. Tyson lifted the little girl and ambled to their bathroom, to floss the girl's gums.

"Now let's put you in bed." Tyson set Vanessa back on her feet and led her to her bedroom, across the hallway from his and Hilary's. A few months after she turned two, Vanessa had declared she wanted to sleep in the room, which had since been a playroom. Tyson and Hilary deconstructed the crib that was in their room and moved it in, thus settling the Great Vanessa Room-Switching.

Of course, Vanessa would often wake up in the middle of the night and join them, but it was still sad to see their little baby start growing up, even though she was only two at the time. For her fourth birthday, which was fast approaching, they were planning on buying her a toddler bed- no longer would she have to scramble over their magical modifications to the railing to get out of bed.

Tyson leaned over the railing, tucking blankets around Vanessa.

"Good-night, princess," he said.

"Night-night Daddy. Go help Mummy," Vanessa said, staring up at him.

"I will," Tyson promised, and bent down to kiss her cheek.


	5. Chapter 5: Roses

**Couldn't help but write this one. It has loads of sweetness, but in Hilary's belly.**

Tyson walked into the BBA training centre with a big smile on his handsome, glowing face. He was a cheerful person by nature, but today, Tyson was especially upbeat. The World class Beyblader skirted right past Max, his fellow champion, who was busy polishing off some of his blade. Hearing the blunette being to joyfully hum, Max looked up and found Tyson marching proudly behind him.

"Hey Tyson!" Max raised a curious eyebrow.

The blue haired trainer beamed at Max and patted the blonde hard on his shoulder, who only looked further confused upon seeing such a happy face on his colleague.

"Hey there, Max! Isn't it such an awesome day?"

"Yes…" Max droned, tilting his head. "Are you feeling alright, Tyson?"

"Never better," Tyson grinned.

"How odd…" Max murmured.

"Why is it odd?" Tyson chuckled, not sounding offended at all. His expression remained just as cheerful as ever, and if possible, his voice became even more airy.

"Well, I know that usually you're quite the chipper young man," Max tapped his chin, "but today, you are _exceptionally_ so. Have you just been invited to some sort of secret, elite tournament that only masters know about?"

"No, it's even _better_ than that!" Tyson beamed.

"Even better?" Max blinked. "Now you've _really_ intrigued me, Tyson."

Laughing, Tyson sat down next to Max and leaned into the American native. "The reason I'm happy is kind of supposed to be a secret. But…I'm going to tell you what it is. I'm just so excited; I can't keep this all to myself anymore! Promise you won't tell?"

"You have my word," Max nodded.

"Well, yesterday, Hilary and I found out what she's having," Tyson whispered brightly. "You know, the baby's genders."

"Yes, and what was it?" Max inquired.

"A girl," Tyson's grin increased. "! Isn't that _amazing?_ I've never been so excited about anything in my entire life!"

"That's wonderful, Tyson!" Max patted the younger male on his back. "I'm quite pleased for you and Hilary."

"Thanks," Tyson was still glowing. "I just can't believe how lucky I am! I get to have a little daughter! And it's all thanks to Hilary. I love her so much."

At this point, Tyson was blushing slightly, which Max noticed almost immediately. Smirking, the champion laughed boldly and smacked Tyson on his back, surprising the blue haired male.

"Oh, how very sweet of you!" Max continued to chuckle. "Hilary's got you wrapped around her finger, eh?"

"Of course," Tyson's blush only increased. "I'd do anything for her."

"Would you give her a little surprise for the occasion, then?"

"Huh?" Tyson stared at Max. "What do you mean by occasion?"

''It's Valentine's Day, Tyson…'' Max drawled. "Well, she's having the baby that you love so much, right?"

"Uh huh."

"That isn't easy. I'm sure she would appreciate a really sweet gesture from you to show her just how much you appreciate what she's doing."

"You're not trying to trick me, are you?" Tyson frowned.

"Why would I do that?" Max straightened out his brow. "You're one of my closest friends, Tyson. And you know that I care deeply for Hilary as well. I'm being perfectly serious."

"Okay, just checking," Tyson smiled. "I was just asking because guys don't usually talk about this kind of stuff. It's sort of too…touchy feely."

"Well, Tyson, I might be tough as nails on the outside, but really I'm quite sensitive to other people's feelings," Max smirked, holding a hand over his heart.

"Now you really sound like Hilary," Tyson playfully shook his head. "So, what do you have in mind?"

"As far as showing your appreciation?" Max prompted.

"Yeah. I mean…she knows I love her. I hope. I always try to do nice things for her, like buy her nice things and take her out to dinner. Sometimes she still lashes out at me, but that's just because she's Hilary. I wouldn't ever change her."

"See how sweet you are with her?" Max punched Tyson on the arm. "You _have_ to do something to show her how happy you are about this!"

"She knows, I keep telling her," Tyson blinked.

"No, Tyson. You have to _show_ her."

"How?" Tyson furrowed his brow.

Thinking for a minute or two, Max's expression finally softened as he snapped his fingers together and grinned. "I've got a _great_ idea! There's no way she won't love it, trust me."

 **XXX**

Hilary frowned as she looked up at the pictures on the wall, and was feeling rather down. Hilary felt like she knew why, and she was working her hardest to make herself feel better.

A couple of weeks ago, Dragoon had been severely confused during battle, and ended up going on a complete rampage. Tyson, who was having a practice battle against Ray, couldn't get him under control, and the situation got out of hand. Hilary had tried her hardest to persuade Tyson to stop, but both bitbeasts radiated such a wave of energy that ended up knocking Hilary down, ending with her hitting her pregnant stomach on the ground. There had been a scare after that, as well as a trip to the emergency room. In the end, everything turned out to be fine, and as a little extra, Hilary had finally learned that she was actually expecting twins.

Ever since that battle Tyson couldn't help but feel guilt, and refused to do hardly anything: battle, eat, or even sleep.

 _"Oh, Tyson, you know I'm not angry with you," Hilary sympathetically informed her husband. "You never meant to knock me down those few weeks ago. Dragoon was hurt and confused from battle, and you didn't know it was me who was trying to talk to you. Won't you believe me?"_

 _Tyson just respired quietly and shook his head. Sighing, Hilary stepped forward to stroke his cheek, but he quickly became flustered and backed away._

 _"Tyson would you please quit it!" Hilary pleaded. Pressing her hands against her stomach, she continued, "don't you see how absolutely_ _huge_ _I've gotten since then? They're still growing just fine!"_

 _Tyson still didn't look convinced._

 _"Did you know that yesterday, I found out what they are?" Hilary smiled warmly at her husband, who just looked down at her with sad eyes. "It's a girl!"_

 _''_ _And you are telling me this now!''_. _Giggling, Hilary nodded and once again moved closer to the Beyblader to pacify him._

"Hilary!" Kenny's voice called from the clearing of the dojo, disturbing Hilary from her thoughts.

Looking up, Hilary turned the door of the living room, giving Kenny one tepid smile before standing up to her full height.

Walking out of the house, the baby in Hilary's stomach began to stir, as if alerting her that something was up. Raising an eyebrow, Hilary pressed a hand against the bottom of her stomach and tilted her head.

"What's up, chief?" Hilary murmured.

"Hilary, come on!" Kenny whined.

"I'm coming!" Hilary snapped, earning a sharp kick for her actions. Sighing, she apologized, "sorry, you. I know you don't like it when Mommy yells. I'll try to stop."

Stepping into the clearing, Hilary was only further bewildered when she found Kenny standing by the fountain, his arms folded with a smirk gracing on his hided face.

"What are you doing?" Hilary asked, not bothering to take her hand away from her stomach.

"Nothing," Kenny giggled.

"Yeah, right. That's the same look you have on your face when you're up to no good. It's been that way since we were kids."

"Yeah, but _I_ didn't do anything this time."

" _You_ didn't?" Hilary blinked. "Then _who_ did?"

"Your adorable little husband, that's who."

"Tyson? What in the world did he do now?"

"Relax, it's not a bad thing," Kenny giggled. "He just…sent this."

Stepping away from the desk, Hilary found herself staring at a bouquet of beautiful white roses. They were placed in an aquamarine glass vase that reminded Hilary of an elegant stained glass window. In the middle of the pure white flowers were a rose of a different color: one red settled right in the center.

"A…Tyson sent those?" Hilary stammered, her eyes flickering from the flowers to Kenny, and then back to the flowers as if to make sure they were real.

"According to the card, he did," Kenny smirked.

"What card?" Hilary breathed.

Moving towards the flowers, Kenny reached towards the back of the vase and plucked off a white, oak tag card, handing it off to the pregnant brunette. "I didn't read it, just so you know. All I saw was the front of it, which said "To: Hilary, From: Tyson." So I don't know what it says on the inside."

Hilary made no movement other than to flip open the card and read its contents. After scanning her eyes over the words several times, Hilary's eyes began to fill up with tears, and her lips started to quiver.

"Hilary, are you okay?" Kenny asked cautiously.

"Yeah," Hilary breathed out shakily, her lips finally bending into a smile, "I'm perfect."

"What does the card say?" Kenny pointed at the thick, folded white paper.

Clearing her throat, Hilary read the words aloud:

 _Hilary,_

 _I know that I tell you this all the time, but now I want to show you just how much I mean it. I love you so much, more than anything else in the whole world. Now that we're about to become parents, my love for you has only increased. The white roses are all for you, but the different rose is for our sweet little daughter. The love that I have for you is the same love that I now have for our child, and I couldn't be more grateful that you're giving her to me. No matter what, you'll always be my angel, and I will always love you._

 _-Tyson_

"AWWW!" Kenny's sharp, high pitched tone shook Hilary to her core. "Oh, my God, that is the _sweetest_ thing I have ever heard in my life!" _Classic water began to flow from Kenny's eyes_

"Isn't it cute?" Hilary blushed gently.

"I didn't know Tyson was capable of doing something so amazing," Kenny sighed. "I mean, I know he's sweet with you, but that note is just so precious and well-articulated! Are you sure he wrote it?"

"Kenny!" Hilary gasped.

"I'm sure he did, I'm just curious," Kenny quickly clarified. "Maybe he finally found a dictionary!"

"He wrote it, I know he did," Hilary smiled once again as she looked over the card. "I can tell when my Tyson is responsible for something, and this is definitely his doing. I love him so much."

"Clearly he loves you just as much," Kenny nodded. "You two are both _very_ lucky."

Hilary just grinned, knowing that the fellow teammate was absolutely correct.

 **XXX**

Roughly an hour and a half later, Hilary heard the door open, and looked over her shoulder from the stove to see the towering and handsome figure of Tyson slipping in through the door. He was greeted by the smell of something delicious; obviously Hilary's hard work for that evening's dinner.

Catching sight of her husband, Hilary squealed and jumped out of her seat, racing over to Tyson to give him a tight, bone crushing hug which took the blue haired young man off guard.

"M…Hilary!" He choked out. "Be careful! Your stomach! It's-"

"Fine," Hilary cut him off, pulling away and rubbing the obvious bump with both of her hands. "No need to be so protective, sweetheart."

"I'm sorry," Tyson smirked. "So, how come you're in such a good mood this evening?"

"You know why," Hilary giggled airily. Grabbing Tyson's hand, she dragged him into the kitchen and motioned towards the bouquet of roses which still sat beautifully on the kitchen table.

"Oh, you got my flowers!" Tyson beamed. "Do you like them?"

"I _love_ them!" Hilary shrieked, once again jumping at Tyson to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss his cheek. "Especially the red one!''

"I thought that was cute," Tyson chuckled. "Just because she's in your belly doesn't mean that she shouldn't get anything special." Reaching down, he caressed Hilary's stomach for good measure, smiling down at the ever growing bump.

"And the card you put with them…" Hilary's blush returned. "Did you really mean all of that?"

Tyson looked back up at his wife's face with evident surprise. "Of course I did. Why would I make any of that up? You're the love of my life, Hil."

Hilary jumped at Tyson once again, this time kissing him on the lips. "You are just the _sweetest!_ I'm so lucky to have a husband like you!"

"Well, I'm lucky to have a _wife_ like you," Tyson touched his nose against Hilary's. "I love you, Hilary and a Happy Valentine's Day, dear."

"I love you too and right back at you on Valentines," Hilary buried her face into Tyson's chest. At that moment, the baby in her stomach woke up from her naps, and began to roll around and kick happily.

Chuckling, Tyson moved his hands around from Hilary's back onto her stomach, rubbing it gently as he whispered, "I'm sorry. I love you two also! You were just sleeping, and I wanted to make sure you heard it."

Hilary sighed contently and went back to resting her head on Tyson's chest as he kept his hands on her belly. She loved her little family. It was beautiful, perfect, and blooming wonderfully.

Just like her bouquet of roses.


	6. Chapter 6: A Blessing

Tyson was holding Hilary's hand as she lay on the hospital bed while delivering their first child. Sweat was dripping on Hilary's forehead and she continued to let out groans of pain as she struggled to push out her baby. Tyson just continued to hold her hand while whispering soothing words to her and encouraging her to breath.

"C'mon Hil, you can do this, I know you can. Just keep pushing and everything will be okay. You can get through this. I've got you babe. Just keep breathing, focus on my voice, and everything will be alright."

"Would you shut up!" Hilary moaned in agony, "I don't know if I can continue this".

It's alright my love; I'm here,'' Tyson soothed. '' All you have to do is keep going and keep breathing and everything will be alright."

Suddenly, there was another contraction which caused Hilary to bellow out in pain, followed by the sound of a baby crying.

"Don't worry Mrs. Granger, your baby is on her way", responded Dr. Wills as he waited for the baby to come forth.

"Did you say 'her'?" Hilary managed to gasp out. When she first became pregnant, she and Tyson had been filled with great happiness, seeing their child as the greatest blessing of their lives. And on that day, they made an agreement to not find out about the gender beforehand but instead to take one day at a time and let it be a surprise.

That's correct Mrs. Granger, you're about to give birth to a beautiful baby girl," Dr. Wills responded while continuing to wait for the baby to come forth.

Finally, after one more contraction followed by an agonizing scream from Hilary, the baby began to come out of the womb as Dr. Wills continued to gently urge Hilary to keep pushing while Tyson continued to hold her hand and reassure her of his presence. A few seconds later, the baby's cry was heard and she came out of the womb and into the clean cloth the doctor was holding. After catching and then wrapping her up in the cloth, Dr. Wills stood up from his position, carried her to Hilary, and then placed her into Hilary's waiting arms.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Granger. You are now the parents of a beautiful daughter. " the doctor smiled.

"He's right", Hilary responded as she gazed on her and Tyson's bundle of joy with love and adoration, "she is beautiful".

"Indeed she is. Few seconds into this world and she's a replica of you", replied Tyson, who then leaned down to kiss his wife's glistening forehead, also overcome with happiness and love for her and their daughter . He knew that he was truly a blessed man.

After watching the lovely new family for a little while with a smile on his face, Dr. Wills let Tyson and Hilary know that he would give them some time with their baby, and if they wanted, he would also call in their loved ones who were currently in the waiting room. Tyson and Hilary agreed, and then the doctor left the room. After he left, Hilary turned to her husband and asked him, "Would you like to hold her?"

"Like? I'm dying to hold her", he chuckled and, after leaning down, extracted their daughter from Hilary's arms and held her in his own, rocking her back and forth. As he held his daughter and lost himself in her eyes, Tyson decided that at that moment there was no place he'd rather be. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door.

"You can all come in now", Tyson called out. Afterwards, the door opened and his grandfather, his Kenny, Kai, Max and Mariam, Hilary's best friend Dorothy, their close friends Ray and Mariah, and her parents and grandmother, who everyone affectionately referred to as Granny, entered the room. After entering, they all moved to surround Hilary and Tyson in order to gaze upon the newest addition to the family.

"Oh, she's so cute", Dorothy gushed upon seeing her niece.

"Dorothy's right", Max added, "She is definitely a cutie".

"Congratulations dudes, we're all happy for you", Grandpa congratulated and gabbled something about teaching his great granddaughter sword-fighting at which Tyson deadpanned and everybody shared a hearty chuckle.

Granny then moved so that she was standing next to Tyson and held her arms out.

"May I have a moment with my great granddaughter please?",she begged him.

"Of course you can Granny", answered Tyson who then placed his daughter in the arms of his grandmother in law. As she held her, Granny took in her features and could easily see how much the child resembled her granddaughter and grandson in law. After a while, she relinquished her great granddaughter and allowed the other individuals in the room a chance to hold her, each of them whispering sweet words to her and commenting on how beautiful she looked and how much she resembled her parents. Hilary's parents were the last ones to hold her, and after having their moment with their own granddaughter, placed her back into Hilary's arms.

"Thank you for sharing this moment with me and your mother. I'm so proud of you both."

"Thanks Mr. Tachibana, that really means a lot", responded Tyson to his grandfather in law's kind and loving words as Hilary held her daughter close to her chest while her husband also returned the sentiment.

"Have you decided what you want to name her", Kenny asked the young couple, sharing everyone else curiosity in regards to that.

Tyson and Hilary smiled at that, having already picked a name, one that was Tyson's idea and which his wife supported wholeheartedly.

"We've decided to name her Vanessa, after my mother", Tyson answered her with a fond smile. "That way, my mother's memory can continue to live on through our daughter. He then started to get emotional due to missing his mother, both of them, so much until Hilary reached over and grabbed her husband's hand, holding it tightly and giving him comfort. Grandpa also began to get emotional as well along with everyone else in the room, taking a moment to remember the two strong women who were such a strong pillar for their town and made Tyson into the young man he was today.

After composing themselves and drying their tears, the family moved closer to Tyson, Hilary, and baby Vanessa and cuddled together with them while the new parents accepted the closeness of their family and friends, happy with their life, grateful for the addition of their daughter and looking forward to both the joys and woes of parenthood, and knowing that their loved ones would always have their back and also taking comfort in the belief that Tyson's parents were looking down on them all from above with love and pride and would always be watching over them and loving them forever.

* * *

 **The End**

 **A/N And that's it folks and I hope you enjoyed it.**


	7. Chapter 7: Let us SLEEP!

It was the dead of night in the residential area of Tokyo West. Tyson laid in the bed of none other than his wife, Hilary Tachibana. His eyes were fixated on the ceiling wondering how he would get himself out of this predicament. He was tired. Completely exhausted in ways that he never imagined were possible.

He looked down at the beautiful girl in his arms. His heart fluttered, but his brain wanted nothing more than for her to move somewhere else. Why did she need to sleep on him anyways? She had spent the entirety of her life sleeping without him. Why start now?

It wasn't fair he decided. First this young lady decides to completely drain his energy with chores, then she decides that she can't possibly sleep anywhere else?

Sure. It was cute for the first hour, but he literally cannot sleep while she is there.

Maybe he could just shut his eyes and try to rest.

Yeah. That must be better than nothing. Right?

Right.

He puts his plan into action. Slowly, very slowly, he closes his eyes. It takes a few moments but finally his eyes are fully shut.

Finally. Peace.

This peace lasts for a few minutes. While he still can't sleep, he does seem to be having something of a dream. Just flashes of images that don't make any sense, but he finds them relaxing for some reason.

Then she starts to move around. His eyes snap open again.

He looks down at the girl and dimly sees her deep auburn eyes looking right back at him. Can't a guy get a break?

Apparently not.

His wide eyes consider her groggy ones and he sees that she isn't fully awake. The last thing that he wants is for her to wake up again. He can't do it again. She's just too demanding when she's awake.

Briefly he wondered if his Dad had the same trouble with his mother years ago.

Then he realized what a weird thought that was.

God he's tired he reflected.

Right then. Her eyes are still open. Drowsy, but open.

Pondering this for a few seconds, he develops a plan of action.

Moving his hand from its place on her side to her back, he begins to gently rub her trying to comfort her back into sleep. Seeing some moderate success, he attempts to increase his efforts. As smoothly as he can, he rubs her back and culls her back to sleep. It's working.

Now for the final nail in the coffin.

Ever so slowly, he raises his head and brings his lips down to her forehead.

One sweet kiss on the forehead does the trick.

Her eyes close fully.

Bringing his head back down to the pillow, he gives a sigh of relief.

He closes his eyes once more and finds what comfort he can. Sleep is still out of the question.

This lasted all of five minutes.

She's starting to move again.

Awesome.

He grunts in frustration and pulls out his phone. Loading in the browser he does a search for ways to calm a sleeping girl.

Narrowing his criteria, he finds an entire forum board of men complaining about his exact predicament.

Scrolling through the conversations, he feels some sort of kinship with his fellow men in that he's not the only one to have experienced this.

Finally, he finds his answer. Apparently, some girls can't sleep well without "white noise".

He'd try anything at this point. It's been hours since this started. He's getting desperate.

Finding the recommended application he scrolls through the list of noises and settles on "light rain"

Turning it on he brings the phone to sit on the bed next to his side.

The girl's face scrunches up. Her eyes open.

"Tyson! Turn that thing off!" He hears Hilary's voice command him.

But the forum told him to be persistent. Seeing that this noise wasn't working, he tries to go to something else. "Rain forest"

"I'm serious Tyson! Are you trying to wake everybody around here?!" He hears her harshly whisper.

 _Come on.. work! Just a few more seconds!_ After all, the internet had never been wrong before.

Eyes on the girl, her expressions are getting worse. Desperate, he scrolls through the list and accidentally lands on "Extreme thunderstorm with hail and car alarms".

His eyes bulge out of his sockets and he looks at the phone in horror as the loud unruly noise makes itself apparent throughout the entire dojo.

However. The internet advise prevails. She girl calms down. In seconds, her expression goes from one of discomfort and anger to peaceful sleep.

This might just work!

The advice did say after all that once you have the white noise going, you can pretty much get them to sleep on their own.

Exactly what he was looking for.

Feeling a bit brave now, he moves the girl so that she is fully supported in his arms. Not a hard feat for him to accomplish. Sure his strength may have gone down in recent years, but it did have its advantages.

Standing up, he places the girl back down on her mattress and leaves the phone lying next to her.

Success! Very pleased with himself he happily goes back to his self-designated side of the bed and lays down.

The entire dojo is still echoing with the sounds of lightning and car horns, but the girl is at peace.

Closing his eyes, he begins to fall asleep.

At that moment, Hilary jumps on him and pounds his head in with a frying pan.

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME TYSON! TURN THE DAMN THING OFF!"

From the bassinet at the side of the bed, little baby Vanessa starts crying.

Hilary's maternal instincts kick in and she goes to coddle her baby girl. The second she is in her arms, Vanessa falls asleep.

"Here Tyson, can you hold her for a bit? I'm exhausted and need some sleep." She hands Tyson the baby Vanessa and smashes his phone with the skillet. "And don't pull this noise dodo again. Hiro is nice enough to visit his niece and the least you can do is be grateful by letting him sleep!"

She roughly laid back on her side of the bed and little baby Vanessa cuddled with her daddy.

Tyson stood in the room for what felt like hours.

 _Damn Stupid Internet!_


	8. Chapter 8: I'm only Yours

No kids tonight.

 _No kids tonight._

"No kids tonight," Hilary whispered excitedly to her reflection as she readied herself for tonight's festivities.

Marium had arranged for an party out at a private club. It had come as a shock when Hilary received the forwarded invite from Emily a few days ago. She was surprised Marium had actually planned an event to see everyone that _didn't_ involve a fight. Also happy to get a chance away from the kids, she quickly told Tyson and of course, he agreed to go.

"Hilary, I'm ready!" she heard her husband call from their bathroom.

Hilary had just finished perfecting a curl, now arranging her hair to frame her face.

"Tyson, you'd better not be wearing your usual clothes, because I swe-"

She stopped talking at the sight of Tyson in her mirror. He looked,

"Amazing." she turned completely towards him to take in his full appearance.

Tyson scratched his head. "Amazing? I don't-"

"No, Tyson" she laughed, walking towards him. "You look amazing," she said softly.

Hilary took this time to fully absorb his overall appearance. Wearing crisp, black, fitted dress pants, paired with a baby blue button up, he left the first few buttons open to reveal a little skin. With his shiny, black shoes and designer belt, he looked perfect. Not to mention his fresh, wilderness scent to top it all off.

For any other regular man, this probably would not make a difference. But this was Tyson. _Her_ Tyson. He lived, bey battled, played, and slept in the same clothes. So, of course she was going to make a big deal out of the **few** times he dressed up.

"Gee, Hilary. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were about to eat me." he chuckled.

 _I might have too, but that's for later_ she thought with a smirk.

Instead, she gave a light giggle. "C'mon Tyson, we'd best get going."

He rubbed his head. "Uh, Hilary, you're still in your robe."

She looked down at herself briefly. "Yes, I know. I'll be down in a second."

They had arrived at the club about half an hour later. It was a jazz nightclub that had just opened only a few months ago. Word around town was that it had a wait list for the next few months and that one would have to schedule months in advance to have an event there. So, it was only natural that when Hilary saw Marium and Max waiting out front, she had to ask how she booked a spot in less than a week.

"Woo-hoo, Max!" Tyson called, crossing the street

"Hey, Tyson! Hilary! You guys look great!"

"Oh, Max, you don't look too bad yourself." she turned toward Marium. "You look amazing."

And she did. Marium wore a skin-tight, shiny-silver, knee-length, strapless dress paired with open toe pumps. Her hair was styled in a curly bob, and her makeup was simple with a bold, red lip. Some might even say she resembled the late Marilyn Monroe. All in all, she looked terrific.

"She sure does," Max added, making Marium turn her face to hide her blush. "Why don't we head inside? Don't wanna miss our reservation."

"What about Nia and Rick?" Hilary asked while the group of four made their way into the club.

"They called. Said they were running late. Something about Rick being stubborn." Marium said, arms crossed.

Hilary scoffed "That man is impossible."

Nia had finally arrived almost half an hour later. She and Rick had initially both been in sour moods, but after a few drinks, they managed to relax and forget their marital problems for the time being. Well, at least Nia did. Rick, on the other hand, needed a couple more drinks. He was upset and everybody knew it. His attitude was so bad that he had their **very kind** waiter shaking with fear as he took his order. Nia had made a mental note to tip him generously. All three couples were currently sitting at a roundtable, enjoying the appetizers and idle chit-chat.

"This was a great idea, Marium. How'd you hook it up?" Nia asked, gaining everyone's attention.

"Yes, yes. How did a _moron_ manage to book such a fine establishment?" Rick smirked with a chuckle.

"Rick!" Both Nia and Max scolded.

"It's alright. Hilary's been wondering the same thing. I used one of my favors from Max's Mom. She knows everyone and has access to everything. And by the way…." Emily looked Rick square in the eyes, "...this " **moron"** has kicked your ass."

"Haha, that's true" Tyson laughed, rubbing his head.

"Fair enough," Max added

"Shut up, Tyson. Your harpy owns you." he retaliated, feeling insulted.

Hilary snapped her neck towards Rick "Harpy?! I'll-"

"Okayyy! Why don't we all find the dance floor while we wait for our food? The waiter said it'll be at least 20 minutes, thanks to these bottomless pits." Nia suggested, pointing at Tyson and Rick

"Good idea." Marium said as she grabbed Max, dragging him to the dance floor. Hilary and Nia did the same, much to their partners' dismay.

Hand in hand, Tyson followed Hilary to the dance floor. So, it was only natural that he ogled her. He couldn't help but marvel at the way she looked. She was wearing clothes she **never** wore, not even on other date nights. He didn't have a chance to absorb her appearance until now. The light in the club was dim but shone on Hilary in a way to illuminate her beautiful features and curvaceous curves.

She wore her brown locks in a slicked down ponytail, parted in the middle. Her little black dress was simple and skin-tight, ankle-length, with two very thin straps around her shoulders. She adorned her neck with a simple, gold necklace and her feet with strappy, open-toed heels.

She looked…

"Breathtaking..." Tyson whispered

"Huh?" she asked, looking at him. They had made it to the dance floor and the band had started a slow song for the couples.

Tyson grabbed Hilary gently, placing his hand on the small of her back, his other hand joined with hers. He wasn't much of a dancer, but tonight he decided to make an effort. His Hilary looked too good and he wanted to show her off.

"Tyson, you look so handsome tonight," she said, looking up at him.

His cheeks turned a light, pink shade and Hilary couldn't help but giggle softly.

"Thanks, Hil."

"And it seems like I'm not the only one who thinks so." she whispered

"Huh?" Tyson's eyebrows raising with curiosity.

"Don't look, but that women with the red hair has had her eyes on you since we've came."

He scrunched his brows. "Really?"

Hilary looked him in the eye. "Yes, really. I mean, you would think my ring, let alone me being around you would be a sign that your taken."

"Taken?" he chuckled

"Yes, taken. Unavailable. Married." she uttered, slightly raising her voice, as if hoping the woman could hear her.

"Aww, Hil. Don't worry about her. Let's just enjoy ourselves tonight." He kissed her passionately, then looking her in the eyes, "You look beautiful tonight, hun."

"Aw, Tyson."

Hilary placed her head on his chest and allowed him to lead the dance. Somewhere in the midst of the dance, his hand found her backside and gave it a light squeeze and she couldn't help but yelp in surprise.

Tyson chuckled. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't start something you can't finish." she flirted in a suggestive tone.

"Ah, Hilary, you know me. I always finish what I start," he whispered huskily

Hilary smirked at him. "Hmph, we'll see"

She walked, no **sashayed,** off the dance floor, seeing that the food was ready and the song was over. Tyson, on the other hand, was left hot and bothered. He had to take a minute to remind himself where he was and that he couldn't just take his wife right now.

Dinner went well. Actually, dinner went great. The food tasted amazing and the limited conversation they had was light, being that Tyson and Kai's sole focus was their food instead of their company.

On the other hand, the females of the group were doing some much needed catching up. The main topic of discussion being their kids, of course.

"So, how are my godchildren? I feel like it's been forever since I've seen them." Marium chimed

Hilary's eyes twinkled at the mention of her kids. "They are great. Alan is as active as ever, becoming more like his father everyday. And Vanessa is just so brilliant. She's-"

"Is she still with… uh what's his name?" Nia interrupted, the wine clearly getting to her.

"Byron?" Marium guessed, with a slight role of her eyes, annoyed at Nia's lack of sobriety.

At that, Hilary smiled. "Yes, she's actually with him tonight. She's helping with dinner while he watches Alan."

"Cooking dinner? She sounds like a wife already." Marium said coolly, raising a glass to her lips.

"Yeah, she reminds me a lot of myself." Hilary laughed

"And to think you used to call her a hussy. You've came a long way." Marium joked

"So what if _they're_ doing **it** right now?" Nia slightly slurred.

"Doing what?" Hilary asked confused

Nia giggled, the alcohol taking effect. "You know…" she wiggled her brows, "that _thing."_

Hilary's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "Oh Nia. Seriously? She's just thirteen."

"Alright, alright. Then what about yours?"

She laughed even louder seeing Chi-Chi's face turn beet red. Marium even gave a light chuckle.

"Whoops, looks like someone was having a little too much fun." Marium looked at Nia who spilled wine on her dress.

"Shit. This was one of my favorite dresses." Nia complained

"C'mon, I'll ask the waiter for some club soda. That should get it out." Hilary got up, excusing herself from the table along with Nia.

"Huh? Where's Hilary going?" Tyson asked, taking a momentary pause from eating.

"To the bathroom. You might need to take a trip yourself." said Marium nonchalantly

"Huh?" Tyson looked down at himself, noticing he'd gotten marinara sauce on his pants. "Oh, guess I got a little carried away."

"When do you not?" Max laughed

"I'd better get this off before Hilary comes back." He said with a light chuckle, standing up.

Rick smirked "The female really does own you."

"No more than Nia owns you." He replied cheerily, heading towards the bathroom.

The sarcastic remark caused the American to slightly choke. Max struggled to hold in a laugh and Marium smirked.

Tyson had been wandering around the nightclub looking for the bathroom. After a few minutes, he gave up and decided to ask for assistance. Little did he know that "assistance" was already on the way.

When Tyson felt a light tap on his shoulder, he didn't expect to see the woman Hilary complained about earlier.

"Hi!" She spoke cheerily, flashing a perfect smile. She indeed had red hair. It was curled and loud. Her makeup was over the top, with her cheeks unnaturally pink and her fake eyelashes up to her eyebrows. She wore a cleavage hugging, red dress and cheap perfume that bothered the Champion's nose.

"Uh-"

"My name's Rai. Short for Raven." she said confidently. "What's yours?"

Tyson blinked comically, surprised at her confidence. "Actually..-"

"Actually, you're **very** cute." she interrupted, smacking her gum loudly.

"I'm married." He said, hoping it would send her away.

But he was wrong.

Very wrong.

Raven took a step closer. "Married? To that old hag? Does she even satisfy your needs?" she whispered seductively, taking another step. The smell of alcohol permeating off of her.

Tyson furrowed his brows, not at all pleased with how this woman just insulted Hilary. "Don't talk about Hilary like that."

"Hilary? Pretty name. Too bad I'm about to steal her husband." she said with too much confidence

She made a move to stroke Tyson's chest, when someone caught her wrist, twisting it.

"Ow! You little-" she squeaked

Hilary smiled mischievously. "Watch it. I don't wanna "slip" and break your wrist."

Raven tried to break free, but Hilary had an iron grip. "Let me go, I don't want to hurt you."

"No, sweetheart. **_I_** don't want to hurt you. But if you _ever_ try to touch my **husband** again…. I won't hesitate." Hilary let go of her wrist, looking at Tyson.

Tyson had a smirk on his face, which looked undeniably sexy on him.

"C'mon, the others are waiting." She grabbed his hand, walking out towards the dinner table.

"I knew you were coming. You actually handled that really calm." Tyson commented

Hilary sighed. "I know. So unlike me."

"It was actually kinda sexy." He said, stopping her from walking.

Hilary turned around with a slight blush. "Well, I wasn't worried. She had no chance."

"Chance? Please. I'm all yours, Hil. I'm only yours." He whispered huskily in her ear.

 _Oh, yes you are_.


	9. Chapter 9:Candy and Troubles

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"This is _bowing_ Mommy!"

"Mommy it's too hot out here!"

Hilary shut her eyes very tightly as her t five year daughter tugged and cried at her. This had been going on all afternoon, and at this point, it was mortifying.

"Vanessa, Alan! You have to be _quiet,_ " Hilary hissed as she looked between the two, "people are trying to watch the battles."

There was silence for a few moments, and then Alan and Vanessa started to scream. Hilary grew wide eyed and whipped her head around the private box in which they sat. The other inhabitants of the suite were glaring intensely at her, clearly aggravated by the children's actions.

 _Great,_ Hilary thought bitingly, _now everyone thinks I'm a horrible mother._

"Okay, come on guys!" Hilary grabbed their hands and pulled them out of the box, her cheeks burning with a heavy blush.

"Mommy is we going home now?" Alan asked hopefully, in the sweetest manner possible.

"No!" Hilary snapped at the boy, causing him to wince, "we came here because Daddy _really_ wanted you two to watch him battle, and all you're doing is misbehaving!"

"But Mommy it's _boring,_ " Vanessa whined.

"You guys adore Beyblading," Hilary shook her head, "how can this be boring?"

"Because we want to pway," Alan mumbled, causing his elder sister to nod in agreement. Hilary groaned and breathed out deeply. She had to find _some_ way to get the two to behave and watch the battles. It meant a lot to Tyson, but they still had quite a ways to go before the blue haired Champion made his appearance.

As Hilary continued to think up various ideas, Alan and Vanessa giggled excitedly and began to run away from her.

"Hey!" Hilary yelled as she chased after the children, "Alan! Vanessa! Get back here right now!"

The two had finally stopped in front of one of the food stands, jumping up and down as they browsed the selection. Hilary looked over the stand and gasped quietly. It was a candy stand.

"This is perfect!" Hilary murmured to herself. Smiling sweetly, she knelt down and asked, "Would you two like some candy?"

Alan and Vanessa nodded feverously, causing Hilary's smile to widen. She knew this was the trick to getting her children to sit quietly and behave. So, after buying an immense amount of candy (Hilary was starting to feel like she alone was keeping the stadium running after all these years), she took her children and their newly bought treats back to the suite, hoping that her idea would work.

And it did, for a little while. Alan and Vanessa sat happily in their seats, stuffing their faces with candy. Hilary knew this would definitely spoil their dinner, but at this point, she didn't care. She'd have done _anything_ to get them to behave. When it finally came time for Tyson to battle, however, the siblings were jumping up and down, giggling uncontrollably and once again being as loud as humanly possible.

"Alan, Vanessa, shush!" Hilary scolded them. But they weren't at all listening to her. Instead, they hopped out of their seats and began to chase each other around the room, roaring with laughter and greatly disrupting the other spectators.

As Hilary watched with a horrified look on her face, she gasped audibly and smacked herself in the face. How could she have been so stupid? She was so intent on quieting the children for just a short while that she had completely forgotten about the long term effects of too much candy: sugar rush.

Looking back at the others glaring at her, Hilary shrugged her shoulders deeply and thought silently: _I wonder if they'll let it slide if they realize these are the Tyson's children?_


	10. Chapter 10: Where's my Teddy?

"It's bedtime, sugar!"

No response.

"Vanessa! Come on baby, you need to go to sleep!"

Still nothing.

Sighing heavily, Hilary walked up the stairs, knowing that her child had been playing up in her room. When she walked into Vanessa's light pink room, however, she found the little girl sitting in the middle of the room, bawling her eyes out.

"Lizzie!" Hilary gasped, jumping on the floor next to the child, "are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"N…no…" Vanessa sniffed, letting a tiny hiccup escape.

"Then what's wrong? Why are you crying, sweetheart?"

"I…I can't find T…Teddy," Vanessa sobbed, "he…he's missing Mommy."

 _Oh no,_ Hilary thought fearfully. 'Teddy' was Vanessa's life and soul which she heartily treasured. Tyson had given her the stuffed toy on the day she was born, and it had been Vanessa's constant companion since. Without it, there was no way Vanessa would go to sleep. Or stop crying for that matter.

"Where was the last place you had Teddy?" Hilary inquired softly as she brushed back some of her daughter's hair, "Do you remember?"

"At lunch," Vanessa murmured.

"With Daddy?" Hilary's eyes widened, and Vanessa nodded in response. The family had all gone to a special lunch that day in Tyson's honor for retaining his world title. Vanessa had, in fact, brought Teddy with her, but Hilary could've sworn the little girl had left with the stuffed bear. "Did you leave him in the room, baby?"

"I fink so," Vanessa rubbed her eye.

Groaning, Hilary stood up and returned downstairs, walking swiftly into the kitchen. Tyson was sitting at the kitchen table, finishing up some paper work for the league.

"We have a problem," Hilary announced from behind Tyson. The blunette looked over his shoulder, giving his wife a curious look.

"What's up Hil?" He asked, "I've really gotta' get this work done."

"No, this is a _big_ problem," Hilary shook her head rapidly. Tyson sighed and spun the chair around in order to face Hilary.

"What is it?"

"Vanessa doesn't have Teddy," Hilary continued, "she left him at the luncheon today."

"Please tell me you're kidding," Tyson grimaced after a moment of silence. In response, Hilary frowned and shook her head yet again. "What're we going to do?"

"We've gotta' get him back Tyson," Hilary folded her arms, "otherwise tonight is going to be a living hell."

"How are we supposed to get him? The banquet hall isn't open right now. It's eight at night."

"Tyson, you're the World Champion," Hilary tried, "you can pull _a lot_ of strings. Can't you find a way for them to let you into the hall?"

"You seriously want me to abuse my power to retrieve a stuffed doll?" Tyson asked incredulously. "Unless _you_ want to stay up all night with a hysterical three year old, then yes, I do."

"Fine," Tyson grumbled as he stood up, "I'll see what I can do."

 **XXX**

Amazingly, Tyson had been able to convince the owner of the restaurant to let him in, although he'd refuse to tell the proprietor just why he needed to come back.

"Thank you very much," Tyson gave the man a tired smile as he entered the building.

"It's not a problem," he returned the grin; "you are the brand ambassador of here, after all!"

 _Yeah, and I also feel like a crazy person,_ Tyson thought miserably as he scanned the room.

"Are you looking for something?" The owner asked, slightly confused by Tyson's behavior.

"Hm?" Tyson looked back at the man for a quick second before continuing his search, "uh…I guess maybe you could say I am…"

 _I cannot tell him I'm looking for a freaking doll!_ Tyson snapped at himself inwardly.

"Perhaps I can help!" The owner offered, "What exactly are you looking for?"

Tyson began to ponder whether or not to respond, but when he locked eyes on a nearby chair, he felt relief wash over him. Now he wouldn't have to embarrass himself!

"Nah, I'm good," Tyson smiled as he ran towards the chair in order to grab the stuffed Teddy bear and hide it behind his back, "I found it!"

Looking at the chair that Tyson had hurried over to, the owner chuckled and commented, "Ah, so that doll was _yours!_ We were trying to figure out who it belonged to!"

Tyson's face flashed a deep crimson. "Err…technically, it doesn't belong to _me._ It belongs to my daughter…and…yeah. Thank you though!" And with that he darted out of the restaurant, completely humiliated.

"Well, that was degrading," Tyson looked towards sky. But he couldn't help. Misplacing stuff was a trait Vanessa had got from Tyson.

It was all worth it, however, when Tyson returned home and found Vanessa waiting by the door, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her favorite toy.

"Teddi!" She squealed, jumping up and down. Tyson smiled and knelt down, handing the stuffed bear over to his little daughter.

"There ya go pumpkin," Tyson patted her head, "ready for bed now?" Vanessa nodded furiously as she wrapped her arms around Tyson, giving him as tight a hug as she could deliver.

"Thank you Daddy!" She stood up on her tippy toes to kiss his nose.

"No problem sweetie," Tyson kissed the top of her head, "let's go upstairs now." Vanessa nodded and let go of her father, running towards the stairs. Tyson chuckled and followed after the girl, giving Hilary a loving glance as he passed her.

"Hey Tyson?" Hilary called when he was halfway up the stairs. He looked back down at Hilary, who was now standing by the door with a smart look on her face. He, in turn, looked a little shocked. She was holding up nothing else but Teddy. "I think you're forgetting something."


	11. Chapter 11: My Little Ballerina

**Tyson's POV**

* * *

Groaning tiredly, I threw myself down on the living room couch, my back slipping lazily into the cushion. It had been one long day training at the BBA facilities, and I was completely beat. A nice, long nap sounded really good at the moment.

It felt good to finally relax and get some sleep!

"Daddy!"

 _Or maybe not._

I kept my eyes shut, hoping that maybe I could trick Vanessa. I heard her shuffle into the room and stop right in front of me. Truthfully, it hurt to ignore my sweet little girl, but I was just too tired for whatever she had in mind.

Unfortunately for me, Vanessa is much smarter than I was at that age.

"Daddy, I know you're not really asleep."

I furrowed my brow gently to make it appear that she was disrupting a deep slumber.

"Quit it Daddy."

Just a little more acting and she'd give it up. I tilted my head slightly and breathed out quietly. That's when I felt her climbing up my legs.

"Okay Daddy. If you're not gonna' stop pretending, I'm gonna' _make_ you stop!"

She started jumping up on my lap, and that's when I finally willed my heavy eyes to open.

"Ow! Come on Pumpkin, cut it out!" I whined, finally getting my hands on her. Pulling the giggling little girl down, I studied her choice of clothing very carefully. A baby pink leotard with a frilly tutu, white tights, pink ballet slippers, and her dark hair tied up in a tight and precise bun, obviously Hilary's handiwork. "Why're you all dressed up like that, baby?"

"This is my ballerina outfit Daddy," Vanessa answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, although I supposed I couldn't blame her. It was _clearly_ a ballet outfit. "I had dance class today."

"Oh," I stretched my arms, trying to replenish my energy. This was doing no good, however. "Was it fun?"

"Yeah!" Vanessa's brown eyes were sparkling, "My teacher taught us how to twirl today. I'm good at it! Maria kept falling down though. So I helped her learn!"

"That's very nice of you Pumpkin!" I smiled as I patted her on the head. I just loved how sweet and caring my daughter could be.

Vanessa nodded in response before grabbing my hand and cheering, "come on Daddy!"

"Come on where?" I raised a curious eyebrow.

"Dancing," she replied simply.

"Ugh, Pumpkin, I'm too tired for dancing," I groaned yet again as I threw my head back. Yes, I was exhausted, but I was also a terrible dancer. And everytime Vanessa got me to dance with her, it involved me having to wear either a tutu or a tiara. Or both.

"Please?" Vanessa hugged me tightly, "I need to practice my twilring! I want to be the very best ballerina I can be!"

I'll admit, those words made me smirk. Vanessa may have had more intelligence then I did as a kid, but the rest of her personality was very much mine. She was always determined, whether it be in training school, learning about Pokémon, or dance.

"Alright," I finally gave in, ignoring the lingering ache in my back, "I'll dance with you."

Vanessa squealed and jumped off of my lap, clapping her hands as I stood up. After preforming another little stretch, I put my hands on my hips and looked down waitingly at my youngest child.

"Daddy, you don't know how to twirl," Vanessa frowned suddenly, "I'll have to teach you."

"Pumpkin, do I have to…"

"Yes!" She interrupted, "it's a very important ballerina move!"

"Okay, okay!" I waved my hands helplessly in front of myself, "show me."

Beaming, Vanessa got up on her tippy toes and instructed, "first you have to go like this." Looking down at my sneakers, she commented, "you should be wearing ballet slippers."

"I don't think those come in my size," I quipped playfully.

"Then take your shoes off," she scrunched her nose up, looking remarkably like Hilary as she did so, "it's too hard to do it in shoes, Daddy."

"Whatever you say," I sighed as I kicked my sneakers off. Hilary would kill me if she saw my shoes thrown across the room, so I made a mental note to pick them up when Vanessa was done with her little lesson.

"Next," Vanessa continued as she began to walk in a little circle, still on her toes, " you do this."

"Is that all?" I asked with a smirk.

"Daddy, it's much harder in class!" Vanessa shouted, "we actually gotta spin in there. But I can't do that here," she pointed accusingly at the carpet underneath her feet.

"Good point," I nodded.

"Do it Daddy," Vanessa pouted, "show me what I taught you."

Although it was only me and Vanessa in the room, I could feel a heavy blush growing on my cheeks. I was the Beyblade World Champion for goodness sake. Under no circumstances should I ever be dancing _ballet._

"Daddy…" Vanessa frowned.

Too bad I loved my little girl so much.

Sighing for what felt like the millionth time that day, I got up on my toes and walked around in a little cirlce; just as Vanessa had done.

"Wow Daddy!" Vanessa appeared quite impressed, "you're a really good twirler!"

"Thanks," I rubbed the back of my neck as I giggled nervously.

"You're practically a real ballerina!" She darted out of the room as she called back, "now all you need is a tutu!"

"Uh, Pumpkin!" I cried, holding my hand out. But Vanessa was long gone, charging up the stairs to retrieve my pretty pink skirt. Looking back at the couch, I found Hilary standing behind me, snickering quietly, my eyes forming a judgmental glare.

And at that moment, I wondered just how was I being _punished._


	12. Chapter 12: TV Torture

What am I doing here?

I'm sitting on the couch, having been threatened by Hilary to keep an eye on Alan and Vanessa. I don't see why I need to, though. All they've done the whole afternoon is watch TV.

And I mean, _really_ bad TV.

I don't even know the names of these shows, to be honest. They're all starting to run together. Right now, the two were watching some show about different colored Pony. Both of them seemed pretty excited with whatever was going on, and they kept shouting answers at the TV every time one of the characters asked a question.

"What is this show even about?" I mumbled under my breath. I hadn't meant for either of the kids to hear me, but Vanessa had, so she turned her head and gave me a gleeful smile. Honestly, when I was their age, I would die to watch anime.

"It's the show about the magical Pony, Daddy!"

I grimaced slightly and looked back at the screen. All of the horses were now crossing a sparkling rainbow as they sang some song about being friends.

I cannot believe this is how I have to spend my day off.

As I finished this thought, the ending credits began to roll, causing me to take a breath of relief.

"Aw, it's over," Vanessa frowned at her brother.

"Don't worry, Vanny!" Alan beamed at the disappointed little brunette, " _Noddy_ is on next!" This cheered Vanessa up instantly, as evidenced by the happy clapping of her small hands. Unfortunately, I could not reciprocate my children's joy.

When I was a kid, Grandpa always told me TV would rot my brain. So why didn't Hilary teach our kids the same thing? Clearly, my Grandpa had been right. Just another thing for him to boast "I told you so, dude!" about. Sometimes he and Hilary were too similar for comfort.

"Guys, don't you think we've watched enough TV for one day?" I asked kindly. They both shook their heads slowly, not bothering to remove their eyes from the screen. "Come on you two. This can't be good for you!"

"It's good," Vanessa leaned down on her elbows, "it's 'cational."

"What did you say Vanny?" I couldn't help but to sound highly confused. Whatever Vanessa had just said made absolutely no sense.

"It makes us smart!" Alan answered for her in simpler terms.

"And who told you that?" I asked with a curious tone.

"Mommy," they replied simultaneously.

Of _course_ she did. Hilary was home way more often than I was. Sitting the kids in front of the TV was obviously her way of giving herself a break, so I don't understand why _I_ have to sit here and watch them watching television.

"I've got a great idea!" I grinned as I jumped off the couch. Both Alan and Vanessa were too absorbed in the show to even acknowledge me. Not one to be easily deterred, I continued, "let's go outside and play! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

I could've sworn I heard a little noise escape from Alan's mouth, something like an uninterested squeak, either way, they were still staring at the television screen.

Sighing, I walked over to the window, taking hold of the curtains. "Come on you two, it's beautiful outside!" I pulled back the blinds and was greeted by a stormy gray sky and heavy rain fall. Narrowing my eyes, I put the drapes back and dragged myself back over to the couch.

"It's over there!" Vanessa cried frantically, "in the corner!"

Moaning from the mental anguish, I rested my head in my hands and made sure to make myself nice and comfortable.

I wouldn't be getting off this couch for a good, long while.


	13. Chapter 13: Mini Makeover

**This one is from Hilary's POV :**

* * *

"Vanny?" I asked as I peeked under the kitchen table. Nothing there. Sighing, I stood back up, turning my head left to right. Where could my little daughter have gone?

"Vanny!" I called again, hoping she would appear, or at least respond to me. Still nothing.

Groaning, I figured she might be somewhere upstairs. Climbing up the steps, I pondered how the girl could've gotten so good at "hide and seek." Tyson probably taught her, thinking it would be funny. I certainly hoped she pulled this stunt on him every once in awhile.

I was about to go look in her bedroom, until I saw all the lights on in mine and Tyson's bedroom. This perplexed me greatly. Tyson wasn't home, and I hadn't been in the room since this morning. So why would the lights be on?

Walking slowly into the room, I saw a small trail on the floor that made my eyes grow wide with horror.

Tubes of lipstick and mascara, pallets of eye shadow, and cases of blush were lying in a disorganized manner on the carpet, all leading into the bathroom. Fearing what I would find, I sauntered quietly towards the bathroom door and peeked in at first with one eye, and then both.

Vanessa's back was facing me. She was standing on my vanity chair, leaning in closely to the mirror. The rest of my make up was piled up in front of her.

"Vanny, what are you doing?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh, hi Mommy!" She turned around and smiled at me. When I saw her face, I could've sworn my eyes were going to fall out of my head. And _not_ in a good way.

She had enough make up on her face to look like a clown. Bright red lipstick coated not only her lips, but around her mouth as well. She had on two different shades of blush: light pink on the left and a darker tea rose on the right. Her eyelids were covered in a messy mixture of blue and purple eye shadow, and dark clumps of mascara sat heavily on her eyelashes. Dark green lines were drawn several inches underneath her eyes; clearly an attempt to use eyeliner.

"V…Vanessa…" I stammered.

"Look at me Mommy!" She grinned, "I look so pretty!" As she reached for a bottle of sea green nail polish, I finally snapped.

"Vanessa Tyson Granger!" I yelled. Vanessa looked curiously at me, not bothering to put down the polish.

"Don't you like it Mommy?" She frowned now.

"No! Vanessa, you can't just walk into other people's rooms and start using their things! That's _my_ make up!"

"But you always told me to share."

"Yes, you can share if you _ask_ first! But you just came in here and started using my stuff! That isn't nice, Vanessa! You've ruined all of my make up!"

"I made it prettier," Vanessa mumbled as she held up one of my eye shadow pallets. She had blended all of the colors together into one awful, tye dyed like mess.

"No you didn't Vanessa," I growled, "I don't want it to look like that! How could you do this?"

And _that's_ when she burst into tears. I bit my lip as I watched the poor little thing cry her eyes out; getting the mess of eye makeup she had created all over her hands as she rubbed her eyes. I knew what Vanessa had done was bad, and that when children did bad things, they needed to be disciplined. But watching her cry just made me feel so bad…

"Vanny," I spoke more softly this time. She looked up at me, her makeup smeared even more than before as tears fell down her face. "I'm sorry I had to yell at you baby. But what you did was _very_ wrong."

"I…I'm sorry Mommy," she sobbed, hanging her head in shame.

"Why did you do this Vanny? What made you want to use my make up so badly?"

"I…I just wanted to look like you," Vanessa was still looking down, "you're pretty Mommy. I wanted to look like a grown up, like you do."

"Vanny," I sighed, walking forward to hold her in my arms, "that's very sweet of you. But you're just a little girl! There's no reason for you to be wearing makeup. You're perfectly beautiful without it."

"But I want to wear it Mommy. Princesses wear makeup."

"I'll tell you what," I pulled her away so she could see my delicate smile, "how about you and I go out, replace this make up, and I'll put some on you. Does that sound good?"

She sniffed, but then nodded slowly as her lips bent back into a grin.

"Okay," I stroked her hair, "we'll do that. But before we go out, I think we should take all this off your face. Do you agree?"

"Yes," she nodded again, "I look a little scary." I'll admit that made me laugh. At least she knew when she had over done it!

"Well, that's because when you put make up on, you're not supposed to use that much," I tapped her little nose, "but don't worry. When I get through with you, you'll see that the less you put on, the better it looks!"

 **XXX**

When Tyson returned home for dinner that night, Vanessa was so excited to show him the little make over I had given her that she ran all the way down the stairs.

"Be careful Vanny!" I called nervously after her. She leapt off the third to last step and landed neatly on her feet. I sighed and playfully rolled my eyes. Her personality was one hundred percent Tyson's.

"Daddy! Daddy!" I heard her yelling excitedly as she darted to the front door. Following calmly after her, I leaned against the wall as she jumped up and down in front of Tyson, who was beaming at her.

"Hey there pumpkin!" He greeted her with a loving smile, "what are you so excited about?"

"Do you see it Daddy?" She asked happily as she pointed to her face, "See it?"

"See what?"

"Mommy gave me a makeover!" Vanessa cheered, "She put make up on me and everything!" Instantly, I could see Tyson's brow furrow. "Look Daddy. She put on blush, and lip gloss, and an itty bit of eye shadow! Do you like it?"

"Uh…yeah. It's nice," Tyson was raising his eyes towards me. I could tell he wasn't pleased.

"Vanny," I suggested sweetly, "why don't you go sit at the table? Dinner is almost ready."

"Okay Mommy!"

When she was gone, I looked back at Tyson, knowing what I'd have to face.

"Hil, why did you put make up on our four year old daughter?" Tyson deadpanned.

The only response I could think of? "You should've seen what she did _before_ I got to her."


	14. Chapter 14: Tooth Fairy!

**Ah, the classic competitiveness of these two :P**

If Tyson and Hilary had a dollar for every time Alan or Vanessa ruined a romantic moment, they would have _a lot_ of dollar bills. Money that, in this case, would actually come in handy.

It was an early spring day when the couple was in their backyard. Somehow, an intense practice battle had turned into a flirting session, and their faces were now only inches apart as they murmured sweetly to one another. As they leaned in to kiss, however, the scene was broken by a single cry.

"MOMMY! DADDY!"

"Well, so much for that," Tyson sighed as he pulled away. Hilary sighed tiredly, but stood up straight as well. Looking over Tyson's shoulder, she found Vanessa racing towards the pair, her face appearing quite frantic.

"Vanessa, are you okay?" Hilary asked worriedly.

"I…I don't know!" Vanessa frowned, her dark brown eyes filling up with tears.

"What's wrong baby girl?" Tyson kneeled down to her level.

"My tooth fell out!" Vanessa wailed, holding up a tiny white square. Tyson looked at her mouth, where there was in fact a vacant spot sitting where her left bottom front tooth had previously been. "Am I gonna' die?"

"Of course not princess!" Tyson chuckled at the question, "this is a good thing!"

"How?" Vanessa gasped in horror.

"It means that your adult teeth are ready to come in," Hilary smiled to comfort the girl, "you're becoming a very big girl, baby!"

"What do I do with this?" Vanessa examined the tiny tooth that resided in her palm, "do I throw it out?"

"No!" Hilary puffed, jumping down to hold Vanessa's wrist. "You don't throw it out sweetheart."

"Then what do I do with it?" Vanessa sounded highly confused by the whole situation.

"That's an easy one," Tyson glanced at Hilary, "you put it under your pillow for the tooth fairy."

Vanessa grew wide eyed at that suggestion. "Who's the tooth fairy, Daddy?"

Smiling, Tyson continued, "The tooth fairy is a fairy, of course, which comes during the night for lost baby teeth. She takes the tooth back with her and in its place, leaves some money for you!"

"And what does she do with the teeth?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"Does it matter?" Tyson ruffled the girl's hair, "you get money!"

"Tyson!" Hilary scolded as she smacked the back of his head, causing him to yelp in pain and Vanessa to laugh at the action. "That's a terrible thing to say. Don't you dare lead our daughter to believe that money is the only important thing in the world?"

"I was just kidding Hil," Tyson grimaced as he continued to nurse the spot where he'd been struck.

"Well I wasn't," Hilary huffed.

"So I put this under my pillow?" Vanessa held up the tooth yet again.

"Yes," Hilary nodded, "just leave it there, and you'll have a nice surprise in the morning!" Vanessa smiled boldly and skipped off towards the house, leaving her parents to look at one another in contemplation.

"So how come Alan hasn't lost a tooth yet?" Tyson stood up.

"I read that girls usually lose their first tooth before boys do," Hilary mused. Glancing back at Tyson, she continued, "so who's gonna' be the tooth fairy?"

"You," Tyson answered simply, "you're the girl here."

Hilary narrowed her eyes at that comment. "Who said the tooth fairy has to be a girl?"

"She's a fairy," Tyson replied incredulously, "fairies are always girls."

"No they're not," Hilary rolled her eyes, "there can be boy fairies. Haven't you ever read a storybook before?"

"Yeah, every night to Vanessa," Tyson retorted, "and none of them involved a _male_ fairy."

"Yeah, well there can be boy fairies," Hilary folded her arms.

"Fine, if that's how you want to play it, I'll be the tooth fairy," Tyson sounded quite smug in his response. "I'll probably make a better tooth fairy then you ever could anyway."

 _That_ caught Hilary's attention. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Tyson smirked, "you know that compared to me, you'd make a lousy tooth fairy."

"I would not!" Hilary stormed.

"Would too," Tyson shrugged.

"Would not!"

"Would too."

"WOULD NOT!"

"Prove it."

"Fine, I will!" Hilary threw her arms down. "We'll _both_ go tonight, and we'll just _see_ who the better tooth fairy is!"

Tyson nodded as he grinned deviously. "You're on, Mrs. Granger."

 **XXX**

Just past ten o clock, with Vanessa fast asleep in her bed, Tyson and Hilary peaked through the crack left by the slightly open door to make sure the coast was clear.

"Tucker isn't in here tonight," Tyson commented. Sometimes, their dog chose to sleep in the kids' rooms in order to protect them. "We should be okay."

"And she's a heavy sleeper," Hilary whispered, "so she shouldn't wake up."

"I'll go first," Tyson puffed out his chest proudly. Hilary rolled her eyes as he pulled the door back in order to slip into the room. With complete stealth, Tyson pressed himself against the sky blue wall of his daughter's room and edged closer and closer to her bed. In one swift motion, Tyson retrieved the tooth from underneath Vanessa's pillow and left a dollar in its place.

"Beat that," Tyson bragged as he stepped out of the room.

Shaking her head, Hilary marched into the room, not bothering to act like a spy the way Tyson had done. Instead, she simply walked across the floor, leaned down, and stuffed a paper bill underneath the girl's pillow before walking out with a smirk on his face.

"My entrance _definitely_ looked cooler," Tyson folded his arms, "I _must_ be the better tooth fairy."

Giggling, Hilary headed towards the couple's room and announced in a sing song voice, "We'll see in the morning."

 **XXX**

As Hilary prepared breakfast the next morning, and Tyson snoozed lightly at the table, Vanessa came charging down the stairs, her face as bright as the sun.

"Good morning baby!" Hilary smiled at the girl, "you certainly look happy."

"Mommy, the tooth fairy came!" Vanessa began to jump up and down. "My tooth is gone! And there was money there instead!"

"Just like Daddy and I said, right?" Hilary smirked.

"Yeah," Vanessa nodded quickly before pursing her lips, "but I'm confused too, Mommy."

"Why's that, sweetheart?"

"Are there two tooth fairies?"

Tyson's head shot up at the inquiry, and Hilary simply giggled in response.

"No dear, there's only one. Why do you ask?"

"Because there were two different kinds of money under my pillow," Vanessa held them up, "see? There's a one dollar bill, and then there's a five dollar one!"

Tyson gasped quietly and glared at Hilary. No she didn't!

"Hm. Now that _is_ strange, isn't it?" Hilary mused playfully, "Maybe she left the dollar under your pillow, and before she left, decided to be more generous!"

"Oh," Vanessa lowered the money, "that makes sense. And that's good! I like the five dollars a lot, Mommy!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Hilary could feel Tyson's eyes burning into the back of her head. "Now, why don't you go play with Alan and Tucker? You can all come back down when breakfast is ready."

"Okay!" Vanessa smiled again, and bounded back up the stairs.

"What happened to _'money isn't all that?'_ " Tyson imitated Hilary's voice. "Huh? Well?"

"Money isn't everything Tyson," Hilary shook her head as she turned around to show her husband a triumphant smirk. "It does come in handy when it comes to beating your egotistical husband, however."

"Not funny Hil," Tyson sulked. Hilary, however, must have found it absolutely hysterical, because she kept on laughing at the poor Beyblader all morning long.


	15. Chapter 15: No Stealing!

The only thing more difficult than taking care of a kid is taking care of _two_ kids. Trust me, I would know.

Case in point: I needed to go shopping today. Trust me, not my first, second, or even third choice of a preferred activity. But Hilary's birthday was coming up, and as embarrassing as it is for me to admit, I didn't have a gift for her. Meanwhile, all of our friends are just going on and on about the "perfect" and "wonderful" gifts they've all gotten for her.

As for me? I'm her _husband_ , who's sitting there empty handed. Leave it to me to be the _last_ person in the entire world to buy my wife's birthday present.

So, I had no choice but to go to the Tokyo City Mall. Sure, my town had one, and it'd really just be much easier to go to a place that's only five or ten minutes away from where I live. But the Tokyo City Mall is just too small, and the chances of accidentally running into Hilary there are too great. Sometimes she goes there out of sheer boredom in between household chores. So to Tokyo City it was.

Oh, and of course I couldn't go alone since Alan and Vanessa can't be left to fend for themselves. They're only three and seven years old, after all. As a result, the two of them had to tag along for my little adventure.

Here's the problem: Alan doesn't like to be held. He absolutely, positively hates it. You try holding onto him for more than two minutes, and he throws a temper tantrum of epic proportions. Therefore, I always have to keep a very close eye on him as he scurries either next to or ahead of me.

Vanessa, on the other hand, is a cuddler. She wants nothing more than to jump in your arms and hug you, and to be carried around anywhere and everywhere. But for some strange reason, Vanessa was not in a nestling mood today.

"Down Daddy," she commanded as soon as we stepped into the mall.

"Why princess?" I asked curiously, "it's very big in here. Don't you want me to hold onto you?"

"No," she shook her head feverously before pointing at the ground, "down."

I contemplated it for only a moment before putting the little girl next to her brother. This may sound bad, but I'd rather have given in to what Vanessa wanted than have to listen to her throw a fit. Being stuck in a shopping mall was punishment enough.

"Why are we here Daddy?" Alan looked up at me with his big brown eyes. He didn't sound overly thrilled either. At least he was taking after me.

"We need to get Mommy a birthday present," I answered while trying to figure out which store to look in first, "it's coming up very soon."

"I 'ready got her a present," I could hear Vanessa comment. Fantastic. I was getting beaten out by _my own blood_ here! Of course, life for them was easy. All they had to do was draw Hilary a little picture and she'd be as happy as could be. Being married to her, however, gave me more responsibility as far as a gift was concerned.

"What're you gonna' get her?" Alan leaned against my leg.

"Uh…I'm not too sure," I rubbed the back of my head. I truly had absolutely no idea what to get.

"Daddy," Vanessa stated in quite the staid tone, "you should buy her a pretty necklace."

"You think so?" I looked down at her. It wasn't a playful little reply. I was completely serious. Vanessa _was_ a girl after all. She may have been a little one, but she was a girl. I'm assuming she would understand what Hilary would like better than me.

"Yeah," she nodded quickly.

There, so that wasn't so bad after all! I found a store that sold some very nice pieces of jewelry, and knew I could find something perfect for Hilary. Alan and Vanessa were actually being quiet today, and they too were walking around admiring the different bracelets and earrings. Everyone seemed very impressed by their behavior, and that made me even more proud. How could something I was so badly dreading have turned out to actually be pretty good?

After picking out and purchasing a short silver necklace with a sparkling sapphire stone (which I made sure Alan and Vanessa approved of), the store alarm went off as we walked out the door. I stopped in my tracks, wondering why that had happened. I'd paid for the necklace and everything! Alan and Vanessa looked up at me with innocent faces, and after looking into the bag, the lady who sold me the necklace explained that sometimes the alarm just went off when it felt like it, and that I had nothing wrong. Thank goodness! The last thing I needed was for people to think that the World Class Beyblader was some kind of thief.

Walking home, Alan and Vanessa skipped merrily next to me, looking out for any domestic animal in the grass. They loved spotting different of birds and trying to remember the names of each ones. Teaching them that sort of stuff was really fun.

Halfway there, I saw Alan reach into his shorts pocket and pull something out, admiring it in his hands as it shimmered in the afternoon sun.

"What've you got there Alan?" I asked kindly. He certainly seemed enamored by whatever it was.

"A bracelet!" Alan beamed, holding it up for me to see. Instantly, my face paled and I could feel my heart pounding. "I got it for Mommy. It goes with the necklace!"

"Alan, where did you get that?" My voice came out almost like a robot's: emotionless.

"The jewelry store," Alan replied as though it were obvious.

"Did…did you just…take that?"

"Uh huh," he shook his little head, "that's all you have to do, right?"

I wanted to die. Right then and there, in the very spot where I was standing. That's why the stupid alarm had gone off! I wasn't the criminal! My _son_ was!

"Alan, no!" I yelled, jumping back slightly as though the bracelet was about to explode. He simply blinked, not understanding why I'd suddenly gotten so upset. "What you did was very, very bad!"

"Why?" He furrowed his young brow and tilted his head.

"That's called stealing, Alan!" I grabbed at my forehead, "you don't steal! You know what kind of people steal, Alan?"

Again, he shook his head.

"Bad people, Alan!" I bellowed, "Bad people steal!"

"But I'm not bad, Daddy!" Alan was now very distressed, "I didn't know! I…I'm sorry!" And just like that, he burst into tears, a rare action for the young boy. That made me realize I had to calm down. If I had freaked out enough to make Alan cry, then I had overdone it. After all, he was just a kid. He didn't understand what he had done was wrong.

"It's okay buddy," I sighed, kneeling down to his level, "I know you're not bad. You don't know any better." Alan shook his head in accordance with my words.

Now, I wasn't sure what to do next. I knew that the right thing to do was to go back to the store, explain everything, and return the bracelet. But man was that going to be embarrassing. And right after everyone thought they were such well behaved kids, too! I could already see the "Tyson Granger is a terrible father" headlines emerging. And that was the last thing I wanted.

But, embarrassing or not, I knew that doing the responsible thing would teach my children a lesson. After all, I want them to do the right things in life. And owning up for a mistake was certainly a good lesson to learn.

"What do we do Daddy?" Alan sniffed as he looked down at his sneakers.

"We go back to the store and tell them what happened," I patted his head, "and we give back the bracelet too. Okay?"

Alan nodded slowly before piping up, "I don't wanna' be yelled at, Daddy. It was a accident."

Yes, it was an accident. And the poor kid was so terrified I was afraid he was going to pass out at any moment. I could see him trembling, for Arceus' sake. Time for another action I might find myself regretting in the future.

"I'll cover for you this time son," I looked him right in the eyes, which were identical to my own, "because you didn't understand what you were doing. But you have to pay attention, alright? I won't always be able to make up for your mistakes."

With another nod of his head, I held out my hand for the bracelet. Alan quickly dropped it into my hand, clearly wanting to rid himself of the object. The trek back to the mall was a fairly long one, and Vanessa was finally back to her usual self after about ten minutes, wanting to be back in my arms. Of course, I knew it was because she didn't want to walk anymore, but anything that would keep the kids out of further trouble was okay with me.

When we walked back into the jewelry store, and the alarm went off again, it made my head pound, since I now knew why it was ringing.

Walking up to the sales lady, I held out the bracelet and cautiously explained that Alan had accidentally taken it, not understanding what he'd done wrong. I continued by saying that once I explained his mistake to him, however, he'd felt terrible and had never made it his intention to take the bracelet. When I was finished, I held my breath, waiting for an all out lecture about how I was the worst parent in the world.

And guess what? The woman didn't go ballistic. Oh no. She started _laughing_.

Noticing the confused expression that had overtaken my face, she explained that they had dealt with this many times before, and that it was perfectly understandable. As long as they got the bracelet back, it was no big deal. After all, as she said, "kids will be kids!"

Heading back home, I couldn't help but to feel relieved. It was good to know that Alan wasn't the only kid who'd ever swiped something by accident. Knowing that made me feel _a lot_ better about the situation. Either way, I still had one more concern that needed to be addressed about the whole thing: Hilary could never, _ever_ know.

Sure, the woman at the jewelry store might have laughed it off, but Hilary?

I don't even want to _think_ about it.


	16. Chapter 16: Tantrum Attack

"Daddy, can I have it? Can I?"

Tyson groaned inwardly as Vanessa held up a stuffed toy, her onyx eyes gleaming as she looked up at her father. Normally, he'd have said yes in a heartbeat. As Beyblade Champion, Tyson maintained a fairly enviable income, and would do anything to make his daughter happy.

Hilary, however, demanded that it stop immediately. She was afraid of her daughter becoming too spoiled, so by her order, Tyson could no longer give into her requests.

"Please Daddy? _Please?_ "

Tyson sighed and averted his gaze from the young girl. He didn't want to see the look on his little princess' face when he had to say that one malevolent word.

"No," Tyson squeaked out, his voice sounding strange in his own ears.

"Huh?" Vanessa blinked, lowering the toy to her chest.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Tyson still couldn't lay his eyes on the child, "but I can't buy it."

"Why not?" Vanessa frowned.

"Because…because I just can't. Maybe another time baby. Okay?"

There was no reaction. Slowly, Tyson turned his head to look at Vanessa. Her face was static, although an unrecognizable expression was bubbling below the surface. He could see the glint in her eyes, but not one of joy or innocence. In a way, it was almost evil.

Tyson breathed out heavily, relieved that Vanessa was able to take the news so well. Maybe saying no to his only child wouldn't be so bad after all!

"I WANT IT! I WANT IT!"

Tyson grew wide eyed. Turning back around, he found Vanessa red in the face and stomping her feet, still holding onto the toy for dear life.

"Vanessa, honey, don't do that!" Tyson implored. She had done embarrassing things before, but this certainly had to be one of the worst so far. Vanessa, however, wasn't about to grant her father's wish.

"I WANT IT!" Vanessa screamed, her eyes narrowing in anger. Tyson glanced slightly over his shoulder and found some people to be staring at both him and Vanessa with stunned and incredulous looks. _How wonderful,_ Tyson thought dully.

"Vanessa…" Tyson tried again. Instead, the little brunette growled lowly and moved closer to Tyson in order to hit his leg. They were more like pats, considering she was only three years old and didn't have much strength. "Hey! No hitting!"

"Give me my toy!" Vanessa barked, her voice lowering ever so slightly. "You owe me a toy!"

 _You owe me a toy._ Tyson grimaced at the phrase.

Sighing, Tyson took the toy from Vanessa and declared, "Alright, fine. I'll buy you the toy. But you can't tell Mommy, okay? You have to make sure to hide this from her. Promise?"

"Yes," Vanessa nodded, a little smile appearing on her face. "Thank you Daddy!"

"No problem," Tyson tried his best not to grumble, "come on."

As his young daughter followed behind him, Tyson couldn't believe what had been bestowed upon him. Sure, the looks had matched up from the start, but the personality was really beginning to shine through and prove exactly what Tyson had suspected.

He had a mini Hilary on his hands.


	17. Chapter 17: The Little Thief

Vanessa Granger was a perfect mix of her parents. It had been obvious since the day she was born.

She had Tyson's face: his nose, mouth, the shape of her eyes. Her coloring was a match of Hilary's: bright onyx eyes and unique brown. Vanessa's shade was darker than Hilary's, thanks to Tyson's raven blue tresses. Her skin tone fell in between her two parents': not as tan and glowing as her father but nowhere near as milky white as her mother.

Aside from physical appearances, Vanessa's personality was also matched to her parents. For the most part, she was just like Tyson. Sweet and unassuming, with an endless source of energy and a penchant for getting herself into trouble.

But if someone made Vanessa angry, which was rather hard to do, they'd just better watch out.

Because that's when Hilary's personality begins to shine through in the little girl.

This fact was put on display one particular morning at the renowned Yokohama City School for Young kids. Vanessa was standing before her two best friends, Jason and Suri, proudly showing off an aquamarine bangle that was wrapped around her wrist.

"It's so pretty!" Suri awed, her dark blue eyes sparkling at the jewelry.

"It looks like it belongs to a mermaid," Jason commented, getting excited at the thought.

"I love it," Vanessa beamed, moving it closer to her face so she could examine it more closely.

In a nearby corner, a young girl named Sora glared at Vanessa. She hated the little brunette with all of her might. Sora didn't even have a reason, really. Vanessa had never done anything to the girl. In fact, Vanessa always tried to be _nice_ to her. Maybe it was the fact that she was the daughter of a celebrity. But Sora would have none of it; always going out of her way to make sure Vanessa got sniped.

Huffing, Sora marched over to Vanessa and stood right over her shoulder, staring intensely at the girl's pretty bracelet.

"Hi Sora," Vanessa blinked as she turned around, "what's going on?"

Sora let her dark blue eyes linger on the bangle for just another second before staring Vanessa straight into her bright onyx orbs.

"You're a spoiled brat," Sora remarked matter of factly, folding her arms as she did so.

"Huh?" Vanessa looked taken back, while Suri and Jason stood shocked behind her.

"You're spoiled," Sora repeated, more strongly than last time, "you think you're so great because your parents will just buy you whatever you want, like that bracelet!"

"I'm not spoiled!" Vanessa shot back. "My parents _don't_ buy me whatever I want! And this bracelet isn't mine! It's my Mommy's!"

"So why do you have it?" Sora rolled her eyes.

"She let me borrow it," Vanessa folded her hands into fists, "I told her it was pretty, so she let me wear it to school!"

"You're still spoiled," Sora shrugged.

"Why you…!" Vanessa shrieked as she lunged forward, attempting to attack the cocky blonde girl. Suri and Jason both gasped and grabbed onto the enraged brunette, attempting to hold her back from the still smirking Sora. "Let me go!" Vanessa demanded, "I'm gonna' punch her!"

"No Vanny!" Jason scolded, holding Vanessa a little more tightly.

"Vanessa, you're scaring me," Suri murmured, black hair falling over her nervously shifting eyes. What would the teachers think of this little display?

"Let me at her!" Vanessa cried, her fists flailing in the air.

"Vanessa, what are you doing?"

The young girl and her two companions looked up to find their teacher standing over them and Sora, staring confusedly at the exhibit.

"Miss Wendy, Sora called me a spoiled brat!" Vanessa shouted, "so I'm gonna' punch her in the mouth!"

"No Vanessa, we don't do that," Miss Wendy sighed as she took Jason and Suri off their angry friend. Holding Vanessa back by the shoulder, Miss Wendy glanced at Sora and added, "And we don't call other people names, Sora."

Sora growled lowly, but offered no apology to Vanessa, who was still scowling at her assailant.

"Alright everyone," Miss Wendy sighed as she stood back up to her full height, "it's nap time! Everybody off to your mats."

Vanessa grumbled angrily to herself as she settled down on her rug, lying down with her hands above her head. Everyone else was soon on their mats as well, most of them falling asleep within minutes.

Sora, however, was not one of those people. She waited until Miss Wendy left the room to get something, at which point the door closed and the children were alone in the room. Smirking, Sora sat up and crawled over to Vanessa. Looking down, Sora's grin grew even wider when she saw that Vanessa was fast asleep.

With complete stealth, Sora reached down to slip the bracelet off of Vanessa's slender wrist. Holding it in her hands, Sora jumped up and scurried over to her cubby, stuffing the bangle into her coat pocket before lying back down on her mat.

After the forty five minute rest time, all of the children woke up, most of them yawning and stretching out their limbs from the helpful sleep.

Vanessa was busy rubbing her eyes, when suddenly something felt strange to her. It was almost as if something was missing. Taking her hands away from her eyes, Vanessa studied them very carefully, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. That is, until she laid eyes on her wrist.

"My Mommy's bracelet!" Vanessa shrieked, jumping up as she panicked. "It's gone!"

"What's wrong Vanny?" Jason exclaimed as he ran over to the brunette.

"The bracelet my Mommy let me borrow is gone!" Vanessa cried, her heart pounding furiously.

"How could it be gone?" Jason grew wide eyed, "all we just did was take a nap!"

"Somebody must've taken it!" Vanessa screamed, her dark green eyes narrowing in anger.

"But who?" Jason blinked.

Vanessa thought for a moment before her eyes widened in realization. "Sora!"

Before Jason could do anything, Vanessa whipped around and stormed towards the blonde girl, easily tackling her to the ground.

"Ow!" Sora yelped, her brown eyes burning. "What're you _doing?_ "

"You stole my Mommy's bracelet!" Vanessa yelled, grabbing at the tie on Sora's shirt.

"I did not!" Sora retorted, kicking her legs furiously in an attempt to get Vanessa off of her.

"Alright you two, that's enough!" Miss Wendy marched over and pulled Vanessa away from Sora, holding the two girls apart from each other after Sora hopped back up. "What is going on with you two?"

"Sora stole my bracelet!" Vanessa pointed an accusatory finger at the angry blonde.

"I didn't!" Sora stomped her foot.

"Are you telling the truth, Sora?" Miss Wendy prodded.

"Yes, I am," Sora folded her arms. "You can look in my backpack. I don't have that dumb bracelet of hers."

"Fine," Vanessa tore herself away from Miss Wendy and strode towards Sora's cubby, grabbing the girl's purple backpack off the hook. Zipping it open, Vanessa scoured all of the pockets and compartments, growling when she couldn't find anything.

"You see?" Sora commented smugly, "I'm no thief."

"But…but…" Vanessa whimpered as tears slipped out of her eyes. How could the bracelet just be _missing?_ None of it made sense. And explaining it to her mother was not going to be fun.

 **XXX**

That same afternoon, as Vanessa sat miserably by her cubby, Hilary walked into the room to pick the little girl up from school. Upon seeing the child so upset, however, the homemaker was quick to try and comfort her young daughter.

"Vanny, what's wrong baby?" Hilary frowned as she moved closer to the little girl.

"I…I…" Vanessa stammered as her tears returned.

"What happened?" Hilary kneeled down to Vanessa's height, gently gripping the child's shoulders. "Why do you look so upset?"

"Mommy, I can't find your bracelet," Vanessa answered tearfully; "I think somebody stole it."

"What?" Hilary replied breathlessly, her eyes widening.

"I'm sorry!" Vanessa wailed, burying her face in her hands. "I know you love that bracelet, Mommy! 'Cause Daddy gave it to you! I'm really, really, sorry!"

"Vanessa, honey, don't cry," Hilary pulled her in for a hug, rocking her back and forth. "I'm not angry with you. But I _am_ upset that the bracelet is gone. Do you have any idea as to who might have taken it?"

"Yeah," Vanessa sniffed, "Sora."

"Sora?" Hilary repeated.

"She's mean to me all the time," Vanessa nodded, "and today she called me a spoiled brat."

"What?" Hilary growled, her cheeks growing red with anger. _No one_ insulted her daughter and got away with it! "How long has she been being mean to you?"

"All year," Vanessa shrugged her shoulders, "I just try to ignore her. Except for today. I tried to punch her."

"Well that isn't right Vanessa," Hilary shook a finger at the child.

"I just want your bracelet back," Vanessa wailed again.

"Alright, we're going to find it," Hilary nodded, standing back up.

"Mommy?" Vanessa called softly, her bangs shifting over her tear filled eyes.

"What is it sweetheart?" Hilary responded kindly.

"You…you don't think I'm spoiled, do you?" The look on Vanessa's face was enough to break Hilary's heart.

"Of course not baby," Hilary shook her head, "you're a very sweet, grateful girl. Don't let one awful person get to you. She's just jealous."

At that moment, Sora was reaching into her cubby to pull out her things. As she took her coat off the hook, Hilary's aquamarine bangle fell out of the pocket and landed with a soft _clank_ on the floor. Both Vanessa and Hilary peered down, gasping at the sight of the wristlet.

"Hey! It's the bracelet!" Vanessa squealed, racing over to pick it up. Sora, upon seeing the bracelet by her feet, grew wide eyed and began to back away nervously. Vanessa, however, would have none of it.

"Oh no you don't!" Vanessa yelled, grabbing Sora's leg so she would fall to the ground.

"Hey!" Sora shrieked as she hit the floor.

"You're a liar!" Vanessa growled. "You said you didn't steal my Mommy's bracelet, but you _did!_ "

"So what?" Sora narrowed her eyes.

"So this!" Vanessa barked, reaching for Sora's silky golden tresses.

"Okay Vanny, that's enough!" Hilary ordered as she lifted the child off of the young thief. Holding Vanessa tightly, Hilary sighed and continued, "I think I need to talk to your teacher about this."

"Do it!" Vanessa nodded feverously. "Get her in trouble!"

"I also need to figure out how to extract my temperament from you," Hilary deadpanned as she hung her head.

"What does that mean?" Vanessa asked curiously.

"Oh nothing," Hilary sighed, "nothing at all."


	18. Chapter 18: Allergic Reaction

Ever since Alan had been able to start eating solid foods several weeks ago, Tyson had decided he wanted to try and make something for the boy to eat.

Tyson was a terrible cook, and he knew it. But Alan seemed to eat anything and everything. Even those gross looking, mashed up vegetables Hilary kept giving him! If Alan would eat that, then he would definitely eat something made by his own father.

So, having decided that that's what he would do, Tyson came up with a wheat based dish that he had found the recipe for somewhere in the kitchen. He assumed it had been Hilary's grandmother's at one point. She always used it to make dinner, and she treasured it dearly.

"Okay buddy," Tyson grinned as he walked over to Alan, who was sitting in his high chair. The little boy was gurgling hungrily, impatiently swinging his legs and smashing his tiny hands against the chair's tray. "I get it, champ!" Tyson laughed as he sat down in front of the baby, "you're a hungry guy. Don't worry, I've got some delicious food for you right here!"

Tyson spooned out some of the mush and offered it to Alan. The baby simply looked at the food for a few moments before finally deciding to eat it. Alan kept on accepting spoonful after spoonful, and it didn't take long for the entire bowl to empty out.

"Man, you really were hungry," Tyson blinked as he stared into the vacant bowl. Alan squealed in response and joyfully clapped his hands together. "Alright buddy, I think it's time for your post meal nap."

Alan cooed softly and leaned back in his high chair, looking up at Tyson with big, inquisitive azure eyes. Tyson simply laughed and lifted the child up, holding him close as he brought the baby upstairs. All the way upstairs, Alan made a series of different noises, using his hands to pat Tyson's back and shoulders.

"You're so curious, little buddy," Tyson chuckled, kissing the boy's cheek. "Your Mommy likes to call you alert. She says you get that from me. You think that's true?"

"Gah," Alan put his mouth on Tyson's shoulder, sucking happily on the World Champion's shirt. Tyson grimaced at the wetness for just a moment, but quickly regained his composure. He was getting quite used to the babies drooling all over him. Especially at this age; they were putting everything in their mouths.

Tyson finally made it to the nursery. Smiling, he gave Alan another kiss and placed the squirmy baby into his crib. The Beyblader checked one last time on his son, who was now knocked in a deep sleep. Determining everything to be in order, Tyson walked out of the room and into his own.

Hilary was sitting cross legged on the bed, doing some paperwork in her lap.

"What's the matter Hil?" Tyson smirked. "Got sick of the office?"

"The office, the front desk, the kitchen table…" Hilary narrowed her eyes. "World is accepting technology. So why do I have to do all of this stupid paperwork?"

"Well, you've been doing it for almost ten years," Tyson chuckled, "so you tell me."

"I've never come up with a good enough reason as to why," Hilary shrugged, flicking her pen off to the side. Looking up at Tyson, she continued, "You're the World Champion for goodness' sake. Can't you do something about this?"

"Unfortunately not," Tyson frowned, climbing onto the bed in order to pull Hilary onto his lap and snuggle her. "It's not in my business of affairs." Brushing his eyelashes against her cheek, Tyson kissed up her neck and murmured, "If there was anything I could about it, trust me, I would."

Hilary hummed softly before leaning forward to retrieve the baby monitor. Tyson raised an eyebrow in confusion, but soon understood when Hilary raised the volume on the device. The familiar sound of gurgling could be heard, and made both of the parents laugh spritingly.

"Yeah, I just put Alan down for a nap," Tyson nodded.

"He doesn't like to sleep," Hilary smiled down at the monitor. "I noticed that when you put Alan in his crib, he'll lay there for almost an hour just making noises. It's so sweet."

"Maybe he'll start talking soon," Tyson's face lit up at the sight.

"I think we still have a little while to go before he says his real first word," Hilary mused. "Vanessa said her first words when she was nine months old. So we still have about four months to go."

"I hope it's 'dada'," Tyson rested his head in his hand.

"Of course it won't be," Hilary rolled her shoulders back. "It's going to be 'mama.' In fact, Vanessa's first word was 'mama' as well."

"Keep on dreaming sweetheart," Tyson scoffed playfully.

"No, they're going to say it!" Hilary retorted, gently shoving Tyson down onto the bed. He kept on chuckling, especially as Hilary leaned over him like some kind of hungry predator. Out of nowhere, her head popped up, eyes locking definitively on the baby monitor.

"What's wrong honey?" Tyson asked as Hilary jumped off of him, gathering the device into her hand.

"Alan stopped making noise," Hilary murmured, gently shaking the monitor.

"He probably fell asleep," Tyson smiled at his worried wife. "It's about time, too. That little boy of ours is finally learning to calm down, I think!"

"No," Hilary shook her head, "something is wrong."

"Hilary, he's fine," Tyson assured, "I'm sure of it. Why don't you come back here and we can pick up where we left off?"

"I need to check on Alan," Hilary frowned, putting the monitor down. "Maybe the batteries just died in this stupid thing. But…I need to make sure my baby is okay." She handed Tyson the monitor and told him to listen to it just in case Alan woke up on her way there. Tyson groaned but took the device. He could never say no to Hilary.

She left the room and went down the hallway. Tyson flipped the monitor back and forth between his two hands, just waiting for Hilary to come back and tell him that Alan was just sleeping. The young mother was extremely worrisome, and never seemed to learn her lesson.

"TYSON!"

Tyson heard that through both the monitor and all the way from down the hall. It was definitely Hilary's voice, and she sounded absolutely frantic. He jumped out of bed and ran all the way to the nursery. Hilary was standing next to Alan's crib, the baby boy cradled closely in her slender arms.

"What is it?" Tyson hurried next to Hilary. "What's wrong?"

"Wh…what…something's wrong with Alan!" Hilary cried, tears quickly falling out of her eyes.

"What do you mean something's wrong with him?" Tyson panicked.

"Look!" Hilary turned the baby to face Tyson, and when the blunette laid eyes on the boy, his heart nearly stopped.

The infant had red marks all over his face. Tyson wasn't entirely sure of what they were, though they looked almost like highly irritated pimples. The child's chest was barely rising and falling, and his eyes were half lidded, but not in a peaceful looking way.

"Oh my…" Tyson let out a shuttered breath before allowing his adrenaline to take over. He took the baby away from Hilary, holding him up at the angle he used to hold Vanessa in to help her breathe better. It didn't seem to do much good, however. The boy just let out several, wheezy little squeaks.

"Tyson, stop, it isn't working!" Hilary shrieked, her face reddening as she continued to cry. "We…we have to do something! Quick!"

"I'll call the doctor," Tyson decided, handing the baby back off to Hilary. "You call someone to watch Vanessa. I have a feeling we're going to have to take Alan to the hospital."

Hilary let out a tortured whimper but did as Tyson told her. As much as she just wanted to stand there and cry, she knew that wouldn't do anything to help her baby.

As soon as she hung up her cell phone from calling Mariah, Tyson was getting off the phone with Dr. Burch. The Beyblade master hurried back over to his wife, who was trying her hardest to get Alan to do _something._

"I was right," Tyson frowned miserably. "Dr. Burch said we need to take him to the hospital."

"Oh my God," Hilary wailed, holding Alan a little more tightly.

"Who did you call to watch Vanessa?" Tyson asked frantically.

"Mariah. She said she'd be right over, and you know she only lives down the block."

"Okay then, let's go," Tyson ushered, his eyes still flickering nervously.

"Tyson, we can't just leave Vanessa here alone!" Hilary cried. "I know Mariah is going to be here any minute, but that doesn't mean we can just leave our little girl by herself."

At that very moment, the doorbell rang, causing Hilary to jump slightly.

"Speak of the devil," Tyson muttered under his breath before revealing a relieved smile. "Thank goodness. Now let's go."

 **XXX**

Tyson had his arm wrapped around Hilary's shoulders as Dr. Burch examined the sickly baby. Somewhere along the line, the infant had stopped panting and squeaking, and he was breathing more easily. Additionally, the hives on his face, as Dr. Burch had identified them as, were beginning to dissipate.

"Well, I know exactly what this is," Dr. Burch nodded, looking towards the young parents.

"What is it?" Hilary quivered. "Will my baby be okay?"

"He'll be just fine. This is an allergic reaction to whatever he last ate."

At this, Tyson's face lost all of its color. An allergic reaction to the food _he'd_ made?

"Food?" Hilary breathed. "But…Tyson was in charge of giving Alan his lunch…" Hilary turned to look at her husband, shooting him a less than pleased expression. Tyson, in turn, began to grow red out of embarrassment.

"Tyson, what did you give Alan for lunch?" Dr. Burch inquired.

"I didn't think I was doing anything wrong," Tyson frowned. "I found this good sounding recipe in Hilary's cookbook…"

"The one from my grandmother?" Hilary's eyebrow twitched. Tyson drew back slightly. He knew he wasn't really supposed to touch it.

"Yeah," Tyson nodded hesitantly. "I don't even know what I made him, really. I just found it in the section that she had labeled as good for kids. All I know is it was based off of wheat."

" _WHEAT?_ " Hilary yelled, her eyes lighting up angrily.

"Yeah…" Tyson answered softly.

"Tyson, you are _never_ supposed to give babies this young _anything_ that's made out of wheat!" Hilary cried. "The same goes for things like nuts and eggs!"

"R…really?" Tyson's shoulders sagged.

"Babies' bodies aren't accustomed to those ingredients," Dr. Burch explained. "They are able to better adjust to those kinds of things as they get older. But right now, it'll trigger the kind of allergic reactions that Alan just experienced."

"But he'll be okay right?" Tyson dug his nails into his palms. "I didn't…break him, did I?"

"Yes, he's going to be just fine," Dr. Burch smiled reassuringly. "This doesn't even mean he'll be allergic to things like wheat when he gets older. I'll give you some medicine to give him over the next week just to make sure everything in his body is evened out. But for now, just refrain from giving him anymore of those kinds of food until he's about 2 years old."

 **XXX**

"Come on Hil…I'm really, _really_ sorry!"

"I know you are, Tyson," Hilary sighed, her eyebrows knitting together. "You would never purposely hurt our children, I _know_ that. But seeing our little boy like that…"

"I was just trying to do something good Hilary," Tyson frowned once she trailed off. "I thought it would be helpful of me to feed Alan, and I knew he wouldn't complain about something I made. I didn't know it would hurt him, though."

Hilary let out another gentle breath, laying her hands on Tyson's shoulders. "Tyson, you are the sweetest, most gentle person I've ever met. _Especially_ when it comes to our children. And hurting them is something you would never think of. Don't you know I'm not mad at you?"

"Yes," Tyson answered quietly after a moment. Hilary smiled and got up on her toes, kissing Tyson gently on the nose.

"Good. Don't be so hard on yourself." Hilary raised a mischievous eyebrow and continued, "Besides, we've learned a little something from this adventure."

"What?" Tyson blinked.

"No one likes your food. Not even our babies."

Hilary giggled behind her hand, and Tyson, in turn, flattened out his brow and sulked.

"Ha ha. _Real_ funny Hil."


	19. Chapter 19: Vanessa's First Walk

**Tyson's POV**

* * *

"Come on Vanny! Do you want to try walking to me? Huh?"

Vanessa tilted her little head and pouted slightly, her big auburn eyes growing as she threw me that sweet little look. I chuckled and held my hands out towards her, hoping she would get the hint. It seemed to work, as Vanessa squealed excitedly and got up shakily onto her little feet.

"Good girl! Now come here baby. Just walk to me!"

Vanessa let out another indiscernible noise as her face contorted into another amusing expression. She was able to stand up just fine, but when it came to walking, she seemed to have a serious hesitance.

"Sweetie…"

Vanessa took a careful step forward, which caused a huge grin to break out on my face. I just _loved_ watching Vanessa make such strides in her development. She took a few uneasy half-steps before falling right down, which caused me to gasp rather loudly. I couldn't help it; every time she fell, it sent nasty shocks up my spine.

"Are you okay princess?" I cooed, crawling next to my baby.

She didn't do anything for a few seconds. Finally, she raised her little hands up to her eyes and started to cry. The sobs were quiet and controlled a slightly unusual method of crying for such a small child. But I noticed that Vanessa cried like that a lot. I assumed she got it from her mother.

Sighing sadly, I collected the girl into my arms, hugging her close to my chest. "It's okay baby. Don't cry, you'll be fine."

It only took a matter of moments for Vanessa to relax. Although she was still considered a baby, I very often wondered if she was just being a little drama queen. She _was_ Hilary's daughter after all!

"Come on Tyson, are you ready?"

I blinked and looked down confusedly at Vanessa. She, in turn, gazed up at me, letting out a little "gah" in the process.

"Tyson, over here."

I looked towards the doorway that led into the living room and found Hilary standing in the frame, applying the last touch-ups of her make up.

Oh, Hil," I smiled nervously, especially when I noticed the bemused expression on her beautiful face. "Hey there."

"Did you really think Vanessa was talking to you?" Hilary giggled. I blushed at this accusation, although I couldn't deny it either.

"I just didn't see you. That's all."

"Whatever you say Tyson," Hilary shot me a playful smile, which I was happy to return. "Now let's get going."

"Going where?"

"Tyson, don't you remember?" Hilary's shoulders sagged in what I imagined to be disappointment.

"Uh…no?"

"Of course not," Hilary breathed, breaking only to beam at our little girl who was smiling up sweetly at her. Rubbing his nose, she continued, "We have to go to Max and Marium's."

"Why?" I gaped. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing Max, and I _guess_ Marium too. She wasn't as awful as she was as a teenager. It's just…as Hilary would say, I'm lazy. And I guess I didn't really like sharing my baby either, as dumb and selfish as that sounded.

"Marium wanted to show me something. And she said she'd make us lunch."

"She can cook?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. Shocking, I know. But she can."

"Half of me wants to try it," I smirked, "and the other half is telling me to run away from it."

"Well you're going to have to go with your first half," Hilary made a rising motion with her hand. "Let's go handsome."

I sighed and got up, still holding onto Vanessa. I sauntered over to Hilary and gave her a kiss before gently grabbing onto her hand and pulling her towards the door. "If you insist angel."

 **XXX**

"Oh look at her! Isn't my goddaughter the cutest thing in the world? You two love your Aunt Marium the most, now don't you?"

I watched rather enviously as Vanessa giggled under Marium's attention. My heart lurched as I watched the blunette pull Vanessa up by her little hands, balancing her carefully on her legs. That was _my_ job, not Marium's! But I knew if I said anything, Hilary would smack me.

"Mommy! Can't I show them now?"

"Yes darling," Marium called over her shoulder. She smiled at Hilary and me and asked, "Do you two want your baby back?"

Before Hilary could even open her mouth, I raced over to Marium and gathered the child up in my arms. She squealed happily, which made me smile. She was at an age where she seemed to really be getting attached to Hilary and myself. It wasn't that she was miserable when away from us, but whenever we went to go pick her up or play with her, she would just become overjoyed.

I sat back down next to Hilary, who eagerly took Vanessa from me. The little girl became even more excited, especially when Hilary stood her up and held the baby by her hands as she steadied her feet on Hilary's thighs.

"You gonna start walking soon baby?" Hilary trilled.

"Ma," Vanessa replied, sticking her little tongue out in deep concentration.

"Okay Maxine," Marium sighed laughingly, "you can come in now."

"Here I am!" The young girl yelled as she came skirting into the room. Her loud voice caused Vanessa to grumble in a dissatisfied fashion as her legs gave out underneath her. Fortunately, Hilary was still holding onto the little baby and she didn't stand a chance of falling. That was definitely enough to make me chuckle.

Marium and Max's little blonde daughter spun around in a circle to show off the lovely outfit she was wearing; a purple princess dress that was so fancy it reminded me of Hilary's wedding dress. The predominantly lilac dress was decorated with gold accents and trimmings, along with a delicate gold tiara placed atop the five year old's head. She giggled yet again and scurried over to Hilary, placing her hands on my amused wife's legs.

"Do I look pretty Aunt Hilary?"

"Yes sweetheart," Hilary smiled, "you look stunning! A perfect little princess."

"What's that for Maxine?" I asked my young niece. "Dress up?"

"No!" Maxine giggled wildly at the suggestion. She moved closer to me now,. "It's my Halloween costume!"

"Isn't it just adorable?" Marium squealed. "Max drew it up for her, and Maxine just loved it! So, I took the sketch to the store where we get costumes from, and they made it up for her. I think she looks precious!"

"I'm gonna get _lots_ of candy with this costume!" Maxine clapped her hands together and pressed a kiss on Vanessa's forehead, which caused the poor girl even more agony.

"Hey, speaking of Halloween," I glanced over at Hilary, who didn't seem to understand where I was going with this, "what is Vanessa going to be?"

"Nothing," Hilary answered simply.

"Huh?" I frowned. "What do you mean nothing?"

"Come on Tyson. She's just a baby! There's no reason for us to dress her up and take her out when she can't even eat any of the candy."

"But…but…" I pouted. I was _really_ looking forward to dressing my baby girl up for her first Halloween!

"Besides, Vanessa can't even walk yet," Hilary continued as she fussed with Vanessa's bright azure hair, "so it wouldn't make much sense anyway."

"Oh come on Hilary," Marium broke in, her sea green eyes slightly narrowed, "don't ruin all the fun."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Hilary arched a delicate eyebrow.

"It's not a big deal to dress the girl up in some cute costume," Marium explained as she flipped her hair. "Everyone knows that babies have the cutest costumes, so why waste the time you have? Just dress them up and carry them around."

"Marium," Hilary started slowly, leaning forward slightly, "it doesn't make _sense_."

"Of course it does! Look, if you want, you and Tyson could come along with Maxine and I. We could make it a thing…or something. We'll even check Mariah and Emily."

I nodded my head slowly before breaking out into a huge grin. For once, Marium had come with a great idea! I would've done anything to show my girl off in a pair of adorable Halloween costumes, and if I had to shamefully suck up to my best friends 'wife to do it, then so be it.

"I like Marium's plan Hil!" I turned my head towards her, the smile still stretched across my face. Hilary shot me an incredulous look, but I didn't show any signs of backing down. "Come on. Don't you want everyone to be jealous of our sweet, adorable little baby?"

"I guess…" Hilary replied quietly, which made me laugh. Hilary was so proud of her daughter; she thought she was the most gorgeous to ever exist. Showing her off was a favorite of Hilary's. "But what could she even be?"

"You just leave that to me," I chuckled some more. "I've got a pretty good idea, Hil."

 **XXX**

"Alright Tyson, I'll hand you this one. She looks absolutely _adorable!_ "

Vanessa, who was now outfitted in the costumes I'd picked out for her, was looking up curiously at us with wide and bewildered eyes. I had decided that dressing her up as the Pokémon Pichu would make for a perfect first costume. The material was a soft, light yellow that covered up all of their bodies, including their little hands and feet. The bottoms of the feet had light pink paw prints on them, much like a real Pichu. Around the neck was the same black collar all Pichu had, and a little black tail was attached to the back of the costume. The best part of the costume was a hood with two big ears attached to it. The best part being the light pink ribbon I'd tied into a bow around the right ear of Vanessa's costume.

"Isn't she cute?" I chuckled, rubbing her cheeks. "The costumes are nice and comfy too. She'll be able to stay nice and warm."

"I guess so," Hilary's smile was turning back into a frown, "I just don't know how we're going to manage walking around with her. What with all that craziness going on."

"We'll just carry her," I shrugged, "like we always do."

Hilary sighed and went back to examining the baby. I could tell she was still hesitant over this, although I wasn't sure why. Taking Vanessa out really wasn't a big deal. She was too little to cause any real trouble, and everything would be just fine as long as we held onto her.

"You like your costumes don't you?" Hilary asked softly.

"Ma," Vanessa blurted out, reaching up towards the soft ears on the hood. For whatever reason, our daughter simply _loved_ doing that.

"Well, alright," Hilary glanced up at me from out of the corner of her eye. "If she's happy, that's all that matters. And they seem pretty content in their costumes. If you really want to take them out with Marium and Maxine, then I'm okay with it."

Her vote of approval surprised me, but I certainly wasn't about to question it. Smiling, I pulled my pretty wife up and turned her towards me. Noting the confused look in her auburn eyes, I chuckled warmly and pressed a light kiss against her lips.

"You're so cute, angel. Now I know where our daughter gets it from!"

 **XXX**

Halloween night finally came, and Vanessa seemed just as excited about it as I was. Of course I knew she didn't understand what was going on, but one couldn't help but to wonder if _maybe_ she did.

My guess as to why she was so excited was all of the different costumes surrounding her. It wasn't so much the costumes themselves but the wide array of colors that came with the big selection. Colors really seemed to stimulate Vanessa, as she was pointing frantically at everything while letting out excitable squeals.

"Ra! Ra!" Vanessa cried from Hilary's arms as she pointed at a young boy dressed as a fireman.

"Yes, that's red!" Hilary giggled as she kissed her cheek. "Good girl."

"Gee!" Vanessa yelled as she pointed at the brightly lit bushes surrounding people's houses. "Gee!"

"Right, that's green. You're so smart baby!"

Vanessa and Hilary's interactions made me smile. Vanessa wasn't as jumpy as I was, but she would still occasionally point something out and softly make her own babyish interpretations.

"Po," she was motioning towards Maxine, who was walking flit fully in front of us. "Da…"

"What are you trying to say princess?" I brushed my lips against her little ear. "Purple?"

"Po," Vanessa repeated before resting her head on my shoulder.

Maxine was walking in between Lin and Alice, the daughters of Mariah and Emily. Alice was dressed as an angel, with her dark blue hair tightly curled and a feathery halo held above her head. Lin, meanwhile, had gone as a Butterfly, wearing a frilly purple dress with glittery silver wings and a pair of antennae in her short pink hair.

Vanessa had predominantly kept her eyes on them, I had noticed. She would occasionally look away to point at something or someone else, but for the most part she was interested in what they were doing.

"Why do you think that is?" I asked Hilary after explaining my observation.

"I think she wants to be like them," Hilary giggled.

When we reached another house, the three girls shrieked excitedly and darted towards the front door.

"Da! Da!" Vanessa cried, tugging at my shirt.

"What's the matter baby?" I frowned. "What are you getting so worked up about?"

"Da…" Vanessa whined again, pointing towards the ground. Blinking, I shrugged and put the little girl down on the ground, becoming even more confused when she took a sitting position by my feet.

"I wonder what that was about…" I murmured to myself.

"Aw, she just wants to be independent," Hilary pecked me on the cheek. "Don't get so worked up over it."

"I wasn't getting worked up over it," I blushed slightly. "I just don't understand it. She's never acted like that before."

"Well, she's growing up," Hilary frowned slightly. "She isn't going to be considered a baby for much longer. I guess we're just going to have to start accepting it."

"Yeah," I looked down and gasped, my eyes widening. "Crap!"

"Whoa Tyson," Hilary glared, angry at the aspect of me blurting out a forbidden word. "What was that for?"

"Vanessa's gone!" I cried.

" _What?_ " Hilary shrieked, her eyes nearly falling out of her head. "Tyson Granger, I am going to _kill_ you!"

"It wasn't…oh man," I groaned while rubbing at my head, "we've got to find her!"

"You better!" Hilary fumed, her face reddening more quickly than the flame on Dranzer's head. "Because if you lost our daughter, I swear to God…"

I was looking around frantically, the sound of my pounding heart reverberating through my head and out of my ears. Then, just as quickly as I panicked, I began to relax. I spotted a little figure dressed in yellow only several feet away from me. And was she…

"Hilary…" I murmured softly.

"Don't you Hilary me!" Hilary stormed, one of her hands balling into a tight fist. "I am _so_ mad at you right now! How could you lose track of our baby girl!"

"Hilary…"

"Tyson, if you keep pulling this little act, you're going to be even more sorry than you already are!"

"Hilary!" I turned towards her, my eyes shining. She growled as I gently grabbed her head and directed it to Vanessa's course. And with that, all of her anger evaporated and a small gasp escaped her lips.

The little girl was toddling towards her friends, gurgling happily as she did so.

"Va…Vanessa…" Hilary stammered, holding her hand more tightly to her chest.

"She's walking!" I yelled.

My sudden shout caused Vanessa to fall down, a little squeak emitting from her mouth. Hilary and I both panicked slightly and hurried over to the fallen child. For once, she wasn't crying as a result of her fall, but was simply glancing between her mother and I, as if looking for a reaction.

"You did it baby girl!" I cheered as I lifted her up into the air, causing her to giggle wildly. "Oh, who's the best little girl in the world? You are! Yes you are!"

"Da," Vanessa smiled, waving her little fingers. I put her back down on her feet and she once again gazed up at me, her onyx eyes full of wonderment.

"Well, looks like my baby know how to walk now," Hilary smiled at me, although I could see the sadness shining in her eyes.

"Don't worry angel," I brushed her cheek with my finger. "They still need us."

Glimpsing down, Hilary groaned slightly. I raised a puzzled eyebrow but quickly understood when I realized that Vanessa was no longer standing in between us.

We began looking in all different directions, until I finally caught sight of Vanessa scampering away as quickly as she could on her small and unsteady feet.

"See?" I chuckled as I went after her, " _definitely_ still needs us!"

I could hear Hilary slyly mumbling. "Is this a trick, or a treat?"


	20. Chapter 20: Help the Leaves

"DADDY!"

I jumped right out of bed, nearly throwing Tucker off in the process. My little dog looked up at me with sheer anger set in his beady little eyes .I shot him a very sorry look before running off towards Vanessa's room.

I don't know how, but I'm always able to tell the difference between Vanessa and Alan when it comes to a scream or crying. Hilary calls it "parental intuition," which I suppose makes sense because she's able to do it too. In a way, it makes me feel better since I don't have to spend any extra time trying to figure out which one is upset.

Swinging back Vanessa's door, I ran over to the window, where my little girl was standing and staring outside.

"What is it baby?" I asked frantically, kneeling down to her level and holding onto her sides.

"Daddy!" She cried again, turning her head to look at me. Her onyx eyes were wide and she looked rather panicked. "We have to go outside!" Vanessa grabbed onto my shirt, yanking at it with as much strength as she had. "Hurry!"

"Vanny, why do we have to go outside?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is something happening out there?"

"Yeah!" Vanessa nodded quickly. "All the leafies are fallin' off the trees! We have to save them!"

As realization hit me, a gentle warmth covered my face as I began to chuckle. Vanessa furrowed her brow, clearly not understanding what I found so amusing about her concerns. Composing myself, I answered, "Sweetheart, it's okay that the leaves are falling off the trees. They're _supposed_ to do that!"

"But…but they're not green no more," Vanessa frowned. "They look sick, Daddy."

"No, the leaves aren't sick baby girl," I took her face into my hands. A hopeful look gleamed in her eyes, and that put a pang in my heart. _Technically,_ yeah, the leaves were dying. That's what happens in the fall, after all. But I knew that telling Vanessa that would only make her upset. She was very sensitive to living creatures, which in a sense made her a lot like Hilary. And I guess like me too.

"So why are they falling?" Vanessa prodded.

"Err…" I wracked my brain, trying to come up with a good façade for my daughter. "Well, you see princess, when it starts to get cold outside; the leaves don't like staying on the trees. They want to go someplace warm."

"The ground isn't warm," Vanessa responded.

"Well, getting to the ground is just the first step," I continued, gaining more and more confidence in this little tale as I went along. "Because once the leaves are on the ground, the wind will sweep them away to somewhere with lots of sun and warmth!"

"But won't they miss the trees?" Vanessa fretted. "The tree is their house, Daddy."

"Oh, don't worry Vanny," I grinned at her. "The leaves will come back eventually. They only go on a long vacation for the winter. When spring comes around, you'll see the leaves growing back on the trees. And they'll be green again!"

"Okay," Vanessa seemed to accept this story. "But I still don't 'stand why they're brown now."

 _This_ one I wasn't entirely sure of how to explain. Why would leaves need to change their color if they were only going on vacation? I didn't know what to tell Vanessa.

"Daddy, why they brown?" Vanessa inquired again.

"Well, they're brown because they're bored of being green!" I finally explained. "The leaves just want a little change is all. You don't like wearing the same colored clothes all the time, right cutie?"

Vanessa quickly shook her head as she pulled at her yellow pajama top. "Like how all my pajamies have diffy colors!"

"Yes, just like your jammies," I smiled as I patted her on the head.

"I know now," Vanessa nodded eagerly. "The leaves are okay!"

"Yes, everything is _just_ fine," I lifted Vanessa up into my arms and kissed her on the forehead, earning a wildly happy laugh from the little girl.

"Love Daddy," Vanessa murmured, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I love you too sweetie!" I chuckled, hugging her even closer. "Come on now. It's time for breakfast."


	21. Chapter 21: Banana Pancakes

Alan slowly opened his eyes, yawning as he rubbed the remaining sleep out of his chocolate brown orbs. The sound of chirping birds filled the room, and once Alan finally pried his eyelids open, he could see sunlight spilling in through the windows and beckoning to him to get out of bed and face the new day.

Yawning once more, Alan threw the sheets off of himself and slid out of bed, his little bare feet landing with a soft _thud_ on the hardwood floor beneath him.

Spinning around, Alan ran out of his room and flew down the stairs. Once he reached the bottom of the steps, his stomach let out a low grumble, causing the young boy to twist his mouth up in fairly deep thought.

Knowing exactly what to do, Alan scampered into the kitchen, his face bright with hope as he saw his mother standing by the sink.

"Mommy!" Alan called cheerfully.

Hilary looked down at the floor and smiled at the sight of her young son, still dressed in his blue and red pajamas. "Good morning, sweetheart! Did you sleep well?"

"Uh huh," Alan nodded. "But now I'm hungry."

"Of course you are!" Hilary giggled airily. "Well, don't worry; breakfast will be done in just a few minutes. Why don't you go sit down at the table and wait?"

"Okay!" Alan hopped over to the table and pulled himself up into a chair, making it a bit more acrobatic than necessary. Hilary watched the whole thing out of the corner of her eye, and tried to refrain from saying anything. She was just a _bit_ too overprotective of her children, and often times had to remember that they were Tyson's children, so there was no possible way to stop them from doing crazy things.

"Hey Hil!" Tyson's voice caused Alan to look over his shoulder. The raven blue haired man was carrying Vanessa in his arms, the half asleep girl resting her head on her father's shoulder as she whined softly.

"Vanessa must still be tired," Hilary sighed as she brushed the girl's cheek. "Poor thing."

"She won't be so sleepy once she knows that there's food on the table," Tyson smirked as he gently shook the child. "Isn't that right, princess?"

Vanessa sighed and buried her face into the side of Tyson's neck.

"Alright, let's sit down," Tyson laughed, taking the seat next to Alan. He reached out and ruffled the boy's hair, greeting the child, "hey champ! How's it going?"

"Good," Alan smiled up at his father. "Mommy's making breakfast!"

"Yes, she is," Tyson chuckled, watching as Hilary put the food down in front of them. He placed Vanessa in the empty chair on his right, patting the still tired girl's head as she moaned and rubbed her eyes.

"Alright you three, here's your breakfast!" Hilary announced cheerfully as she placed a plate full of pancakes in the middle of the table.

"Oh boy, food!" Tyson beamed. He reached for the food and immediately placed four of them on his plate, earning a smack on the hand from the wooden spoon that Hilary held in her hand. "OW! Hilary, what the-"

"Feed the children first!" Hilary scolded, cutting off whatever swear Tyson had in mind. "Not yourself."

"Sorry," Tyson blushed slightly. He knew that Hilary was right, and normally he would've done just what she'd ordered. But his raging hunger had gotten in the way of rationality at that moment in time. Looking between Alan and Vanessa, he asked, "You guys don't want four pancakes at once, do you?"

"I do!" Alan raised his hand.

"Alright!" Tyson grinned as he switched plates with his young son. "That's my boy!"

"Alan, sweetie, you might not want to take that many at once," Hilary warned gently.

"Why Mommy?" Alan tilted his head. "I'm hungry!"

"I know you are, baby, but those aren't regular pancakes."

"Huh?" Alan threw his arms down in surprise.

"They're banana pancakes," Hilary smiled at the little boy. "I decided to try something a little different this morning. I always loved these as a little girl!"

"Gross!" Alan whined as he pushed the plate away.

"Buddy, why don't you just try them?" Tyson asked as he put a single pancake on Vanessa's plate.

"No, it's icky," Alan shook his head.

"Now how would you know that if you've never tried them?" Tyson playfully inquired as he folded his arms.

"Cause they _sound_ icky," Alan narrowed his eyes.

"But you'll never know if you don't try it," Tyson patted Alan's back. "And we Grangers don't turn away from a challenge!"

"I didn't realize that eating my food required such effort," Hilary huffed as she now made the top of Tyson's head her spoon's target.

"OW!" Tyson rubbed at the sore spot. "Come on Hil, you know that isn't what I mean! Don't you agree with me that Alan _and_ Vanessa have to try new things, regardless of whether they think they'll like them or not?"

"Of course I do," Hilary stroked Alan's tangled black locks. "It's a good way to expand your opinion on things!"

"No," Alan mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Alan, you like bananas," Hilary tried to reason with the child, "so there shouldn't be any reason for you not to like banana pancakes!"

"I want _regular_ pancakes," Alan frowned.

"Alan…" Tyson sighed, burying his face in his hands.

"Look, Alan!" Vanessa called. Alan huffed but still looked over at his elder sister, who was happily eating the cut up pieces of her pancake. "I like it! I tried it, and I like it!"

"See?" Hilary smiled at her young son. "Your sister tried it! So you should too."

"I don't want to," Alan folded his arms on the table and buried his face in them.

"Here, what if I put some pieces of banana on top of them?" Hilary asked as she waltzed over to the counter to retrieve the yellow fruit. She peeled and cut it up, returning to Alan in order to scatter the slices atop his pancakes. "I always _loved_ eating them this way! It adds more flavor. Why don't you try it now, sweetheart?"

Alan growled, but didn't raise his head.

"I'll tell you what," Hilary placed her hands on her hips. "If you try the pancakes, and you really don't like them, I will go ahead and make you regular pancakes. How does _that_ sound?"

Tyson whipped his head around and shot Hilary a disbelieving look. Hilary was very stubborn when it came to her cooking. The rule was typically that it was her way or the highway, and if you didn't like what she'd cooked, then you weren't going to eat that night. Fortunately for them, the kids weren't picky eaters, and the parents had never had to face the problem of them not eating something.

Hilary caught the look and motioned for Tyson to be quiet. She seemed to know what she was doing, and didn't want Tyson to interrupt her little plan.

"Okay…" Alan's timid voice filled the air as he lifted his head up. Narrowing his eyes, he added, "but I'm _not_ going to like them!"

"We'll just see that about that, little guy," Hilary smirked.

Alan picked up his fork and stabbed it into one of the pieces of pancake that Tyson had already cut for him. Glaring at the small morsel, Alan stuck it in his mouth and began to chew it as quickly as possible. Tyson gave Hilary another glance, and all she did was smile angelically at him.

When Tyson put his eyes back on Alan, he noticed that the young boy was now chewing the piece of pancake much more slowly. At long last, he swallowed it, and looked down thoughtfully at his plate.

"Well?" Hilary's airy voice prompted her son. "What do you think?"

"I _love_ them, Mommy!" Alan grinned up at his mother. "They're sooo tasty!"

"I'm glad you like them," Hilary folded her arms and shot Tyson a victorious look. "Make sure you eat up, now, little guy."

Alan heeded his mother's order and ate seven and a half of the pancakes. Tyson, of course, couldn't be any more proud, and Hilary was just stunned, even though she knew she shouldn't have been.

"I'm done, Mommy!" Alan announced after finishing half of his last pancake.

"You can't eat the other half of that one?" Tyson nodded towards the half eaten pancake.

"No Daddy," Alan shook his head. "I'm full."

"Yeah, full after almost _eight_ of them," Hilary blinked.

"Suit yourself, champ," Tyson smirked as he took the other half and put it on his own plate.

"I'm going to play with Tucker now," Alan jumped off of his chair and ran into the living room, where his sister had already wandered off to.

Hilary got up and took Alan's plate to the sink, leaving it in to wash later. She went back to the table and sat across from Tyson, her eyes still wide from Alan's little spectacle.

"How such a little thing manages to put away _that_ much food, I'll never know," Hilary shook her head.

"He's good, but not as skilled as me," Tyson shrugged. "I've already eaten ten of these." He looked down and found the remaining half of Alan's pancake that he had put on his own plate. As if it were nothing, Tyson downed the whole thing and smiled up at his pretty, young wife. "Ten and a half."

"Okay," Hilary narrowed her eyes, "that's just _gross._ "

 **XXX**

The next morning started off quite similar to the one before. Hilary was busy bustling around the kitchen as Alan came skidding in, still dressed in his pajamas. Hilary heard his little feet and giggled to herself, turning around to smile at the young boy.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Hilary turned around.

"I'm hungry, Mommy!" Alan ran over to his mother and hugged her leg.

Laughing, Hilary bent down and picked the boy up, holding him in her arms. "I knew you would be! But I haven't made anything for breakfast yet. What would you like to eat?"

"Banana pancakes!" Alan beamed.

"You want them again?" Hilary raised an eyebrow. Alan nodded his head. "But you just had them yesterday!"

"They were so good, Mommy!" Alan wrapped his arms around her neck. "Could I have them again? Please?"

"If that's what you really want," Hilary hugged her little son. "I'll make you banana pancakes, little guy!"

"Thank you, Mommy!" Alan rubbed his forehead against her cheek.

"No problem," Hilary kissed the top of the boy's head before putting him on the floor. "You can go and play while Mommy makes them for you."

Alan nodded and scurried off, leaving behind a quietly giggling Hilary. _I can't believe I actually got him to like something new!_ Hilary thought happily to herself. _I feel like some kind of magic worker. This is the best!_

 **XXX**

 _Scratch that,_ Hilary thought seething to herself by the end of the week, _this is the worst._

It had been nearly an entire week since Hilary first made Alan try the banana pancakes, and now every single morning he asked for them.

So, that morning, when Alan came rushing down the stairs, Hilary knew exactly what to expect.

"Banana pancakes, Mommy!" Alan called excitedly from the doorway.

"Alan, baby, can't we eat something _different_ this morning?" Hilary smiled pleadingly at the child.

"No," Alan shook his head. "Banana pancakes."

"But there's so many other things we could have!" Hilary opened the refrigerator and looked through it. "Yogurt, or bacon, I even have your favorite cereal in the pantry! Don't you love that sugary stuff?"

"No, I love banana pancakes," Alan grinned at his mother.

Hilary groaned as she threw her head back. She could only hope that, after awhile, Alan would grow sick and tired of eating the same thing every morning, and she wouldn't have to make them. _Every_ morning.

She begrudgingly walked over to where she kept all of the bananas, and when she reached the wire basket, a beautiful discovery was made. The sight made Hilary grin from ear to ear, but she couldn't let Alan see her joy. So, before turning around, Hilary made sure to put on a sympathetic look as she spun around and gazed down at her little boy.

"Oh, Alan, I'm so sorry! But we don't have any bananas left."

"Huh?" Alan frowned.

"Yeah, it looks like I used them all up because all you've eaten this week is banana pancakes," Hilary smiled compassionately at the child. "So, what do you say? Cereal?"

"Can you go buy more bananas?" Alan pouted.

"Buy more…no, sweetheart, just have something else that we already have here!"

"But Mommy, I really, really, _really_ want banana pancakes!"

"Alan…"

"Pleeeease?" Alan clasped his hands together and looked up at Hilary, making his chocolate brown eyes grow as wide as he could.

Hilary groaned and tried to look past the sweet, innocent face her son had put in. She knew she couldn't resist it, she had to look away…she wasn't going to go out and buy the stupid bananas…she wasn't…she wasn't…

"Okay, I'll go get some more."

She was going to buy the stupid bananas.

"YAY!" Alan flew forward and hugged his mother's legs so tightly she was afraid her circulation was going to be cut off. "Thank you, Mommy! Thank you!"

"Yeah, no problem…" Hilary slumped her shoulders forward.

"I'll wait for you right here!" Alan jumped onto his kitchen chair and looked over at his mother. "Don't worry, Mommy."

"I won't, sweetheart," Hilary sighed as she walked over to the front door. As she reached for the doorknob, she muttered to herself, "I'm never teaching my kids to like new things again."


	22. Chapter 22: A Dance with Daddy

**Vanessa: 7 and a half years old**

 **Alan** **: 3 years old**

* * *

"Ah, Tyson, just the person I wanted to see!"

The Beyblader stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head. He'd been walking down a hallway of the BBA Headquarters, minding his own business, but Mr. Dickenson (senior) had popped his head out of a nearby office to call out to him, and Tyson was a little startled by it.

"Oh, sir," Tyson breathed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You scared me a little there!"

"Hoo, sorry about that!" Mr. Dickenson chortled. "Certainly wasn't my intention!"

"What're you doing here?" Tyson asked. "It's not very often we see you around here, ever since you retired."

"I came to give my son my latest idea," Mr. Dickenson proudly replied. "He may be good at his job, but his creativity is sorely lacking."

Tyson smirked at the old man's comment. "I'd agree with you, but I like working here. So, what idea did you have? Does it have to do with our next conference?"

"No, not quite," Mr. Dickenson refuted. "It was more of an _internal_ idea! I thought it'd be wonderful if the league threw a father daughter dance for the employees, especially since Father's Day is coming up."

Now Tyson was just confused. It _was_ a nice idea, but it was extremely…random. He didn't think Mr. Dickenson would show up to discuss something unrelated to the Beyblading Tournaments. "Oh…where'd ya get that idea from?"

"I'd like to say my own head, but it more or less came from my daughter-in-law," Mr. Dickenson answered.

"Dickenson's wife?" Tyson clarified before furrowing his brow. "Uh…I mean…other Dickenson. Your son, Dickenson."

Mr. Dickenson laughed. "Yes, indeed! She confided in me that she wishes he would spend more time with their daughter. And then I realized most of the fathers here probably feel the same way! So, we discussed it and she presented me with the wonderful idea of a father daughter dance."

"Sounds cute," Tyson chuckled.

"You have a young daughter, don't you?" Mr. Dickenson asked.

Tyson's eyebrows rose before a big smile appeared on his lips. "Oh, yeah! She's six now-well, six and a half; she insists the half is very important. She's super cute and kind and she's _really_ smart! She tells me all kinds of things I had no idea a little kid like her could even know. She impresses me all the time."

"You certainly are a proud father!" Mr. Dickenson crowed. "I'm sure you and her would have a lovely time at an event like this!"

Just as quickly as it had appeared, Tyson's smile faded. "Oh…that's a nice thought! But she's not really a girly girl or anything like that. She hates wearing dresses. And she's also super shy and gets nervous around too many people she doesn't know. So I don't think she'd have too much fun at that kind of thing."

"Children are very flexible," Mr. Dickenson noted. "She might have more fun than you'd think!"

Tyson smiled warily. Mr. Dickenson was a kind man, but he didn't know Vanessa the way _Tyson_ knew Vanessa. "I'll see what I can do!"

"Excellent!" Mr. Dickenson crowed. "I look forward to seeing you both there!"

He retreated back into the office he'd emerged from, leaving behind a nervously laughing Tyson.

"I wouldn't count on it…"

 **XXX**

When he came home from work that evening, Tyson was not expecting to be greeted by his wife standing less than two feet away from his face, causing him to shriek and stumble backwards, landing on his behind in the doorway. Tucker, who had panicked as well, managed to jump off of his trainer's shoulder and land on all fours, running from the foyer deep into the living room.

"Are you going to take Vanessa to that father daughter dance?!" She asked excitedly.

"Nice to see you too," Tyson grumbled, rubbing his throbbing backside.

"Sorry," Hilary giggled, reaching down to help him back up. "I'm just really excited!"

"I can see that," Tyson breathed. "How'd you know about that anyway? You weren't at Headquarters today."

"I talk to people," Hilary replied simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"Right…" Tyson sighed, walking over to the couch so he could sit down on something softer than the floor he'd just landed on. "I don't think so."

Hilary suddenly appeared very disappointed, scurrying over to him. "What?! Why not?!"

"Come on, do you really think she'd be into that?" Tyson asked, raising an eyebrow as he scratched Tucker's head, who had just hopped up beside him. "It's kind of everything she doesn't like. Getting dressed up, being in a big crowd surrounded by people she doesn't know, _dancing_ …"

"Those are all things you don't like either, except for the big crowd thing," Hilary noted, taking a seat next to him.

"I guess, but we're not talking about me," Tyson calmly argued. "I don't want to make her upset."

"I just think you two would have so much fun," Hilary sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together. "Vanessa _adores_ you; it would just be the cutest thing! She might even love you enough to not care about wearing a dress."

Tyson was not convinced. "You were a tomboy growing up. Would _you_ have put on a dress to go to a dance with your father?"

"Of course, if he was ever around," Hilary muttered, rolling her eyes. "I never would've had the chance to do anything like this with him. I wish I did."

That seemed to give Tyson pause. Tucker murmured softly and crawled onto Hilary's lap, much to the young woman's appreciation.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to ask," Tyson relented.

"Really?" Hilary breathed, her excitement returning.

"Yeah, maybe you and Mr. Dickenson were right, maybe she'd really like to go," Tyson replied. "But if she says no, I'm not forcing her."

"Fair enough," Hilary commented.

"Besides, it _would_ be pretty cute if Vanessa got all dressed up like a little princess for one night," Tyson mused with a little smirk. "I like that she's more of a tomboy, because I don't know how I'd handle having such a girly girl."

"Good thing you don't have to worry about that," Hilary giggled.

"Daddy!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Tyson chuckled as the kids came running into the living room, both of their arms full of different toys.

"Oh, you two want to play, don't you?" Tyson asked with a laugh.

"Yeah!" Alan shrieked, tossing a soccer ball at his surprised father.

"You normally don't want anything to do with this," Tyson noted, holding the ball up. "Also, this isn't even supposed to be in the house. How'd you sneak this past Mommy?"

"That's what _I'd_ like to know," Hilary murmured, taking the ball from Tyson and examining it as Alan laughed wildly.

"I'm –neaky!" Alan crowed.

"You definitely are sneaky!" Tyson agreed. "But if you want to play with the soccer ball, we have to go outside, okay?"

Alan beamed and nodded his head.

"What do you have, Vanny?" Tyson asked, turning his attention onto his daughter.

"Bubbles!" Vanessa squeaked, holding up the blue plastic bottle.

Hilary groaned and rested her head in her hand. "Seriously, how are you two getting all the _outside_ toys _inside_ without me seeing?"

"-neaky," Alan repeated, still quite proud of himself.

"Well, it'll be fun to go outside and play for a bit!" Tyson tried, grinning at the twins. "It's really nice out! And Mommy can play with us too!"

"Uh, I have to make dinner," Hilary reminded him.

"We can just order something tonight," Tyson scoffed. "Take a break for a change!"

"I don't know, you really think the kids just want to eat pizza for dinner?" Hilary teased, knowing what the response would be.

"PIZZA!" Alan and Vanessa both squealed, alarming the electric mouse on their mother's lap.

"Well that took a lot of convincing," Hilary quipped sarcastically.

Tyson snickered, but stopped when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, wait! Before we go outside, I have to ask Vanessa something!"

The little girl looked up at her father and tilted her head. "Me?"

Tyson grinned. Her squeaky little voice was just too cute. "Yeah, you!"

"What, Daddy?" Vanessa chirped.

"The Beyblade Conference is going to have a father daughter dance," Tyson began. "Do you know what that is?"

Vanessa twisted her mouth and shook her head.

"It's a big party for all the daddies who work there and their little girls," Tyson explained.

"A party?" Vanessa repeated. "With cake?"

"Yeah, they might have cake!" Tyson laughed.

Vanessa thought about it for a moment before exclaiming, "I like cake!"

Tyson chuckled softly. "So, do you want to go with Daddy?"

"Yeah!" Vanessa declared.

Both he and Hilary appeared surprised. Somewhat nervously, Hilary informed her daughter, "You'll have to get dressed up for it. Is that okay with you?"

Vanessa grimaced, but she soon relaxed and answered, "uh huh."

"Really?" Tyson questioned, earning a light elbow in the side from Hilary.

"Yeah, cause I want cake!" Vanessa confirmed.

Tyson nearly fell on his face, causing both of his children to laugh. Picking himself back up, Tyson rubbed the back of his neck and whined, "Don't you want to have fun with Daddy?"

"I always have fun with you, Daddy!" Vanessa cried.

"Aw, that's really sweet, Vanny," Tyson cooed. "Thank you!"

Alan blinked and turned towards his mother. "Do I go too, Mommy?"

"No, sweetheart," Hilary replied kindly, ruffling the boy's hair. "It's only for daddies and daughters! But we can do something fun together instead. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Alan crowed. "I really don't wanna go to that."

Hilary let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "Well, no one could ever say you're not honest, little man!"

 **XXX**

"Aren't you just the most beautiful little girl in the whole wide world?"

Normally, Vanessa would've vehemently disagreed and thrown a fit over being dressed up, but for once in her life, she was okay with it. In fact, she seemed downright _happy_.

Hilary had picked out a sleeveless white dress with a full skirt and a royal blue lace overlay, with an intricate rhinestone pattern around the neckline. She was fully expecting Vanessa to hate it (especially considering she offered to have Vanessa pick a dress out, but the little girl refused) and was basically shocked when Vanessa went wide-eyed over it.

"I look like a princess, Mommy!" Vanessa exclaimed. Her mother had accessories the outfit with a pair of shiny silver ballet flats and a rhinestone headband.

"You do!" Hilary agreed.

"Daddy calls me princess," Vanessa noted, turning around in a circle as she continued to examine herself in the mirror.

"Yes he does," Hilary giggled.

"I want to show Daddy!" Vanessa declared, finally facing her mother and beaming.

"We can!" Hilary assured her, getting up off the floor from where she'd been sitting.

"Do you think he'll think I'm pretty?" Vanessa asked hopefully.

"Oh, Vanessa," Hilary cooed. "Daddy always thinks you're pretty! He tells everyone all the time how pretty you are. And how sweet and loving and kind and smart you are! He loves you very much."

Vanessa giggled wildly, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. "Daddy loves me!"

"Of course!" Hilary confirmed, watching as the still giggling Vanessa flitted out of her and Tyson's bedroom. The little girl bounded all the way down the hall and to the stairs, grabbing onto the railing and holding on tight as she slowly descended each step.

Tyson was fully dressed up as well, in a nice, dark suit, and was waiting downstairs with Alan and Tucker, who were playing happily together. Tyson was beginning to grow a bit impatient, and kept glancing towards the stairs, waiting for Hilary and Vanessa to come down.

"Daddy, can you bring me cake?"

Tyson blinked and finally turned his attention onto Alan, who was staring back at him with wide eyes. "Yeah, I'll try and bring you back some cake, champ."

Alan let out a cheer and pumped his fist. "Alright! We're gettin' cake, Tucker!"

"raw!" Tucker crowed.

Tyson chuckled at the pair's exuberance. He loved that the kids and his dog got along so well!

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Tyson's head snapped back up, and his eyes widened. Vanessa had briskly reached the end of the stairs and turned abruptly to face her father, the full skirt of her dress billowing as she whipped her body around.

"I was hoping to give a bit more of a formal introduction, but I guess Vanessa was too excited to wait," Hilary giggled, shrugging as she appeared behind their young daughter.

"Nah, that was perfect," Tyson refuted, sounding in awe as he stood up from the couch. "Vanny, you look like a little princess!"

"Do you like my dress?" Vanessa squeaked, pulling at the skirt.

"Yeah, it's very pretty!" Tyson replied. "But you're even prettier!"

Vanessa began to giggle wildly again, burying her face in her hands. Tyson seemed a little confused by her reaction, but glanced up when Hilary helpfully informed him, "Vanessa sure gets flustered when someone compliments her! She was hoping you'd think she looked pretty. I bet she's a little overwhelmed, even though I told her you would!"

"Of course," Tyson crooned, walking over to Vanessa and lifting the little girl into his arms. "You're always pretty, Vanessa! You don't have to get all dressed up for me to think you're pretty. In fact, you're the most beautiful little girl in the whole wide world!"

Vanessa finally pulled her hands away from her face. "I am?"

"You sure are," Tyson confirmed.

Vanessa beamed and, without any warning, flung her arms around her father's neck. "I love you, Daddy."

Tyson smiled and squeezed her more tightly, replying, "I love you too, Vanny."

Vanessa pulled back to look at her father, continuing, "I'm more excited to dance with you than for cake!"

"You are?" Tyson gasped playfully. "Well that makes me very happy! I can't wait to dance with you either!"

Hilary watched the two with the biggest smile on her face, unable to contain her joy. She had always known Tyson would make an amazing father, but actually watching it happen in front of her was better than anything she could have ever imagined. It was beautiful and sweet and touching and magical all at once. She might have teased Tyson about being dense or doing some foolish things, but this was one thing where he could really do no wrong.

As soon as Tyson put Vanessa down so she could scamper towards the front door, Hilary gently grabbed Tyson's shoulder and pulled him close to her, whispering in his ear, "Vanessa is so lucky to have you as her daddy."

Tyson smirked, and without missing a beat, he countered, "Actually, I think I'm the lucky one for having a daughter like her. And a son like Alan. I might just be the luckiest dad in the whole world…Oh, and not to forget, the most amazing woman in my life….you"

Concluding, he leans down to plant a gentle affectionate kiss on his wife's forehead.


	23. Chapter 23: Bed Buddies

"Mommy…wake up Mommy!"

Hilary groaned and reluctantly opened her eyes. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of her and Tyson's bedroom, but eventually, she was able to see Vanessa hanging over her, the little girl's eyes wide with fear, and her mouth bent into a frown.

"Vanessa, honey, what is it?" Hilary rubbed her eyes. She turned her head towards the nightstand and read the time on the alarm clock. 1:30 AM. _Lovely_.

"I had a bad dweam, Mommy," Vanessa whimpered. "It was so scawy."

"Do you want to sleep in here?" Hilary asked the little girl. Vanessa nodded happily and climbed over her mother, accidentally kneeing Hilary in the back as she clambered over the elder brunette. Hilary winced, but didn't say anything out loud. She knew Vanessa hadn't meant to do that.

Pulling the covers up, Vanessa wedged herself between her mother and father, since there wasn't much space in between them. Tyson liked to sleep closer to Hilary, so whenever one of the kids wanted to stay in bed with them, it involved pushing Tyson off to the side.

The little nudge caused Tyson to groan softly in his sleep, but otherwise it didn't disturb the slumbering man.

"Are you comfortable?" Hilary asked sleepily.

Vanessa snuggled herself deeper into the mattress, pulling the comforter all the way up to her face and pressing her head into the side of her mother's pillow.

"Yes," Vanessa's young and airy voice replied.

"Good," Hilary breathed out and closed her eyes once again. "Good night, baby girl."

"Good night, Mommy."

The room settled into silence for another hour and a half. For Hilary, however, it only felt like 15 minutes. For once those 90 minutes had gone by, Hilary once again heard the sound of little footsteps, and then felt the presence of someone hovering above her sleeping body.

Breathing out heavily, Hilary raised her eyelids and found herself staring right into Alan's chocolate brown eyes.

"What's wrong, Alan?" Hilary yawned.

"Mommy, I heawd a scawy noise in my room," Alan crawled closer to his mother. "I think thewe's a monster in my closet."

"Baby, there's no such thing as monsters," Hilary stroked the boy's cheek.

"Maybe it was a ghost!" Alan's eyes grew wide.

"Alan, there's no such thing as ghosts either."

"Yes thewe are!" Alan gasped.

"Let me guess," Hilary tilted her head back and stared up at the ceiling. "You want to sleep in here with me and Daddy."

"Yes pease," Alan nodded.

"Alright," Hilary sighed, inching closer to the edge of the bed in order to make room for Alan. "Lie down, now, sweetheart."

Alan threw himself down on Hilary and rolled off onto the vacant space. He had knocked some of the wind out of Hilary by laying on her, so the young woman was now groaning quietly and holding onto her sore stomach.

Getting comfortable between his elder sister and mother, Alan was quick to fall back asleep, without so much as a "good night" for his weary mother.

"At least we only have two of them," Hilary muttered to herself as she drifted back into sleep. "No more disruptions."

Or so she thought.

Hilary was later woken up by someone kicking her in the leg. Slowly opening one eye, Hilary realized that Alan was practically sleeping on top of her, and his legs were kicking almost frantically in his sleep.

Grunting, Hilary sat up and gathered the boy's sleeping being into her arms. She had to be careful, because he was a light sleeper, but Hilary managed to move him off of her without waking him up. Looking over her shoulder as she laid back down, Hilary peered at the alarm clock and took note of the time: 5 o'clock.

 _I just want to sleep!_ Hilary thought miserably to herself as she slunk back down and closed her eyes.

An hour and a half later, Hilary was awoken for the fourth time that night, although by now, it was early in the morning.

This time, Alan was laying across her _horizontally,_ his small feet resting towards the edge of the bed and his head and outstretched arms taking up space in the middle of the bed.

Tyson must have moved closer to Hilary sometime in the last few hours, because he was now lying on his side and not on his back. Vanessa was hanging onto him, one arm around his shoulder and the other around his neck. Her left leg was hanging over Tyson's side, while the right remained on the bed. Her head was resting against his chest, and every now and then, the foot that was hanging over Tyson's body would give him a little kick, causing the Beyblader to whine and contort his face in his sleep.

Sighing, Hilary tried to gently shrug Alan off of her, but with no luck. She turned slowly to the left, hoping that the little boy would roll off. Unfortunately, all that did was roll him closer to her chest, further limiting Hilary's ability to breathe.

 _I guess I'm a human mattress now,_ Hilary rolled her eyes. _There's no going back to sleep now._

At exactly the same time, Tyson seemed to have been having the same thought. His eyes slowly opened and, instead of his usual yawn, let out a quiet moan. Looking down at his chest, and around at his side, he realized that the reason for his less than peaceful sleep was the fact that his daughter was hanging onto him like he was a giant teddy bear.

"Ugh, man," Tyson groaned, trying to move his arm without disturbing Vanessa's sleep. He looked up and found Hilary to be awake and staring at him. Moving his eyes down further, he saw Alan laying across Hilary's chest.

"Yes, we're both having a lot of fun this morning," Hilary droned.

"What are they doing in here?" Tyson squeezed his eyes shut repeatedly since he couldn't free his arms to rub the sleep from them.

"Vanessa had a nightmare," Hilary recanted, "and Alan thought there were ghosts in his closet."

"Did you tell him they aren't real?" Tyson raised an eyebrow.

"Well, apparently, they are."

"What do you-"

"Oh, gotcha. I forgot how he gets superstitious just like you."

"Tyson, you have to understand that they're only 3 years old," Hilary smiled sympathetically at her husband. "They're going to get scared at night sometimes and want to come sleep with their Mommy and Daddy."

"I'm not mad about them sleeping in here," Tyson quickly refuted. "I don't mind it at all. I just wish they weren't so…clingy in their sleep."

"Okay, _that_ I can agree with," Hilary nodded.

"Do you think they're going to wake up anytime soon?" Tyson frowned.

"It's only five in the morning, so I'm gonna go ahead and say no." Grimacing, Hilary added, "They seem to be pretty comfortable at the moment."

"That makes two out of the four of us," Tyson sighed.

"So, you just wanna stay like this until they wake up?" Hilary glanced up at Tyson again.

Twisting his mouth, Tyson studied Alan and Vanessa's current positions and replied, "I don't think we have much of a choice."

"Great," Hilary rolled her eyes before closing them again, hoping that by some miracle, perhaps she would fall back asleep.

"Hilary…"

"What, Tyson?"

"…I can't feel my arm…"

"I can't breathe. Suck it up."


	24. Chapter 24- 'Gray Matters'

**So, I have been receiving hateful reviews, saying that my English sucks and my fics are not good. Okay, to the guest who has been so obsessed with me lately, here's the thing, why don't you go ahead and write a fanfic, probably yours favourite and other's least favorable pairing Kaihil, and then compare yours with mine. Oh wait…you have to make an account for that first, which means even if you paste a guest review like a scared cat, I would know.**

 **Speaking of English, maybe you didn't understand what I meant by ''Don't like, Don't read,'' I will translate for you in Hindi, ''Nahi pasand, mat padh!''**

 **So wish you luck with you fic.**

* * *

"NO!"

Hilary jolted, her eyes growing wide in terror. She had just walked into the house, coming back from a store, and was greeted by the loud scream of her husband.

"Mommy!"

Hilary looked down and saw Vanessa running towards her, the child's eyes wide and full of fear.

"What is it, baby girl?" Hilary frowned as she leaned down to lift the small three year old into her arms.

"Daddy yelled," Vanessa murmured. "He scawed me!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Hilary hugged her daughter close.

"Is Daddy huwt?" Vanessa whimpered.

"I don't know, I have to go check on him," Hilary moved some strands of Vanessa's dark raven brown hair away from her doll like face before walking towards the stairs. "I certainly hope he's alright."

Moving as fast as she could with the child in her arms, Hilary hurried into her and Tyson's bedroom, assuming that she would find Tyson there. He wasn't on the bed or in his closet, however.

"Where is he?" Hilary murmured.

"There, Mommy!" Vanessa pointed towards a stream of light coming from the bathroom that Hilary had managed to miss while scanning her eyes around the room.

Nodding just once, Hilary moved towards the bathroom and called, "Tyson! Are you alright!"

"No!" Tyson wailed in response.

Stepping into the bathroom, Hilary found Tyson standing in front of the mirror, his hands pressed against the counter as he scrutinized his reflection with narrowed eyes.

"What's going on with you?" Hilary breathed. Tyson didn't reply this time, causing Hilary to sigh and stand Vanessa atop the closed toilet before moving over to Tyson and gripping onto his shoulder. "Tyson, answer me."

"I can't," Tyson lowered his head.

"Well why not?" Hilary folded her arms.

"Because…"

"Spit it out," Hilary urged, getting fed up as Tyson trailed off.

Groaning, Tyson looked over Hilary's shoulder at their little three year old daughter. She stared right back at him and smiled, her young, angelic face lighting up as he glanced at her. This made Tyson's heart pound painfully, his lips bending into a frown, and his cheeks paling.

"Tyson?" Hilary asked quietly, her expression softening.

Leaning down so his head was closer to Hilary's, he whispered painfully, "I found a gray hair."

Hilary stood up straight, looking rather unimpressed with Tyson's revelation. "Really?"

"Isn't it horrible?" Tyson breathed.

Growling, Hilary smacked Tyson on the shoulder. Hard. The World Champion looked shocked as he reached for the affected spot, while Vanessa giggled at her mother's action.

"What was _that_ for?" Tyson cried.

" _That's_ what you were screaming bloody murder about?" Hilary seethed. "Finding a _gray hair?_ "

"Not so loud!" Tyson pleaded.

"Why not?" Hilary rolled her eyes. "There's no one here!"

"Vanny," Tyson answered softly. "Vanny is here."

"So?" Hilary raised an eyebrow.

Frowning once again, Tyson set his eyes on Vanessa's happy being and shrugged his shoulders back. "I don't want to feel old. Our baby girl…I don't want her to think I'm too old to be able to play with her and do all of the fun things that I do with her."

"I don't think that Vanessa will ever think that about you," Hilary smiled.

"Why?"

"I just have a feeling," Hilary shrugged.

"But Hilary, this is a _problem,_ " Tyson stressed. "I'm only 30 years old! So why do I have a gray hair?"

"Because we had a kid when we were 27," Hilary answered easily. "That takes a lot out of you. I mean, if you think about it, that means that we've been running after a little kid and dealing with all of their messes and temper tantrums for almost 4 years now."

"But I'm still so young," Tyson fretted. "I shouldn't have _any_ gray hairs!"

"Oh please, do you know how many gray hairs I probably have?" Hilary planted her hands on her hips. "I bet I have more than you. You can only see yours because your hair is so dark!"

"Daddy, you have blue hair!" Vanessa called out suddenly.

Hilary turned around, while Tyson once again set his sights on the little girl, who was once again smiling as her perfect face let off a delicate glow. "What did you say, baby girl?"

"Your hair," Vanessa pointed towards Tyson's head. "It's blue! Not gray."

"Little Vanny knows her colors," Hilary giggled lovingly.

"Of couwse I do!" Vanessa huffed before folding her arms across her chest. "I'm not a baby!"

"That's very sweet of you, Vanny," Tyson chuckled nervously. "And you're right, my hair _is_ blue. But…there are some tiny parts that are turning a different color."

"So?" Vanessa blinked.

"So, what?" Tyson didn't quite understand what Vanessa was getting at.

"Don't be dumb, Daddy," Vanessa stated plainly.

Hilary started laughing hysterically, while Tyson's formerly pale cheeks turned a rather impressive shade of red. "Vanessa! Don't call me that! It isn't nice!"

"No one cawes what color your hair is," Vanessa continued, saying it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That's silly."

"See?" Hilary glanced at Tyson. "She could care less about your gray hairs. You're still her Daddy, no matter what."

"I guess you're right," Tyson nodded just once.

"I want to play, Daddy!" Vanessa raised one of her hands. "Play with me!"

"Yeah, she's _really_ concerned about you getting old," Hilary grinned sarcastically.

Suddenly, Tyson felt much better. Yeah, he had a gray hair hidden away in his messy raven mane, and yes, more were going to show up eventually. But Hilary and Vanessa were the most important people in Tyson's life, and if they didn't care about what was going on with his hair, then Tyson realized that he shouldn't either.

"Okay, pumpkin," Tyson smiled, walking over to Vanessa to gather her into his arms and give her a hug. "I'll play with you."

"Yay! Thank you, Daddy," Vanessa wrapped her arms around his neck.

"No problem, sweetheart," Tyson kissed the top of her head. "You know I would do anything for you!"

Before leaving the bathroom, Tyson was stopped by Hilary, who had grabbed onto the collar of his shirt without warning.

"Ah, Hilary, what are you-"

"I don't mind if you have a few gray hairs," Hilary whispered in Tyson's ear, causing the husband to raise a curious eyebrow. "I think they add character."

With an airy little giggle, Hilary pressed a kiss against the bottom of Tyson's jaw before pulling away and giving him a sly, mischievous grin.

Tyson just watched in captivation as Hilary skirted past him, his eyes wide and shining as she waltzed right out of the room.

Yeah, he could live with a few gray hairs.


	25. Chapter 25: First Cold

"Uh, Hilary…"

"Tyson, I just got back from Kenny's Office. Can't you take care of Vanessa for five minutes?"

"That's not the problem…"

"Then what is it?"

"Um…her snot is all over me…"

Hilary raised her head from out of her folded arms and furrowed her brow. "What in the world are you talking about, Tyson?"

"Exactly what I said! It's _everywhere!_ "

"How is her snot getting everywhere?" Hilary rolled her eyes.

"Because her nose is running…"

Hilary's eyes widened. "What? No, no, no!" She jumped out of the kitchen chair she was sitting in and ran into the living room, her face looking absolutely frantic. She locked her eyes onto Tyson, who sat on the couch with the couple's 2 month old daughter against his chest.

"Is it bad that her nose is running?" Tyson frowned.

"If it's running that much, yeah," Hilary hurried over to Tyson and leaned in to look at the baby's face. Vanessa looked right back at Hilary, although her face was more pale than usual. Her nose was completely red, and, just as Tyson had said, running like a faucet.

"Is she sick?" Tyson gasped.

Almost immediately, Vanessa began to cry, reaching a tiny little hand out towards Hilary as she sobbed.

"Oh, my poor little baby!" Hilary wailed. She took the infant into her arms and held her close, not caring that the baby was rubbing her face against her body and getting snot all over her shirt. "You're a sick little thing, aren't you? This isn't fun, I know."

Vanessa kept crying, squirming in Hilary's arms as she struggled to get comfortable with this illness overtaking her.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Tyson's face looked frantic. He jumped up and gently touched Vanessa's back with the tips of his fingers, hoping to help soothe the young child.

"It's probably just a cold, so I think so," Hilary frowned. "But she's still only two months old. I'm a little worried. I think we should take her to the doctor just to be safe."

"Good idea," Tyson sighed. "Do you want me to call him?"

"Yeah, I've gotta get Vanessa to calm down," Hilary nodded, kissing the top of her still hysterical daughter's head.

Tyson nodded and walked into the kitchen, leaving behind his wife and daughter. Vanessa let out a few more tortured cries, which only broke Hilary's heart even further.

"God, I hate to hear you cry like this," Hilary whined as she rocked the baby back and forth. "You sound like you're in pain…my poor, beautiful baby…please, it's okay."

Hilary continued to pace the floor, gently bouncing her daughter up and down. Vanessa moaned and gripped Hilary's shirt in her fist, squeezing it as she uncomfortably squirmed in her mother's arms.

In the kitchen, Tyson had picked up the regular phone and dialed the number of Dr. Nick, the pediatrician who Dr. Aaron had suggested to the young parents. He waited impatiently for the physician to pick up, nervously drumming his fingers against the counter top as the sound of his baby girl wailing in the other room caused his heart to drop repeatedly.

" _Hello?"_

"Oh, Dr. Nick!" Tyson sighed. "Thank God you picked up."

" _Tyson?"_ Dr. Nick questioned. _"What is it? Has something happened with Vanessa?"_

"Yeah, Vanessa is a little sick," Tyson frowned. "Hilary thinks it's a cold."

" _Could you give me some of the symptoms that Vanessa is experiencing?"_

"She has a really runny nose, and she's been crying a lot more than usual. That's all that I can think of."

" _Has she had a decrease in appetite?"_

"Now that you mention it, yeah," Tyson's eyes widened. "Vanessa is usually a picky eater anyway, but she's been getting better. This morning, though, when Hilary was trying to feed her, Vanessa didn't really seem to want any of it. She ate for a few minutes, but then she stopped, and every time Hilary tried to get her to eat more, it only made Vanessa upset."

" _Any sneezing?"_

"A few times, yeah."

" _And does she have any signs of a fever?"_

"I didn't check, so I guess it's possible…let me check," Tyson lowered the phone and covered the speaker, calling out, "Hilary! Can you feel Vanessa's forehead and tell me if she's warm?"

Hilary took one of her hands and pressed it gently against Vanessa's small forehead. The baby whined unhappily and gripped Hilary's shirt more tightly. Gasping quietly, Hilary walked swiftly into the kitchen and stared at Tyson in horror.

"She's warm," Hilary whispered.

Blanching out in shock, Tyson uncovered the phone and shakily informed the pediatrician, "yes. She seems to have a little bit of a fever."

" _This definitely sounds like a cold,"_ Dr. Nick confirmed. _"But since she is younger than 3 months old, I have to make sure that it hasn't decimated her immune system yet. How long has she had these symptoms?"_

"I think since last night."

" _So definitely not a week?"_

"No."

" _You said before she had a lack of appetite. Is she refusing to nurse completely?"_

"No."

" _Is she bluish around the lips or nose with any trouble breathing?"_

"No, thankfully," Tyson sighed. He had been very concerned about that, since Vanessa's lungs were still rather weak.

" _Good. That means that right now the cold isn't in danger of becoming pneumonia."_

"Uh…pneumonia?" Tyson murmured.

If he had glanced over at Hilary, Tyson would've seen the ultimate look of horror cross his wife's face. She looked like she was about to burst into tears, or hyperventilate, or both. Eventually, he did peer over at her, though, and saw the terror. Gasping, he shook his head and mouthed the word _no_ to her. Hilary sighed and held the baby more tightly, stroking the back of Vanessa's soft, brown hair.

" _Right. In very young children, an untreated cold can end up turning into something a lot more serious such as pneumonia. But you called for help soon enough that it more than likely won't become something like that."_

"Thank goodness," Tyson sighed tiredly. "So, what do we do now? How are we supposed to help Vanessa?"

" _Well, I would like for you to bring her in for an examination,"_ Dr. Nick continued. _"While I'm positive it's just a cold, Vanessa's underdeveloped lungs give me some cause for concern. I'm not saying she'll have any extra problems or be put in danger, but I want to be on the safe side with her."_

"I agree," Tyson nodded. "What's the closest appointment we can get?"

" _I'm free today at 2. You can bring her in then, if you want."_

Tyson glanced at the clock. It was just past 1, meaning they had a little less than an hour to get ready and go. "That sounds good."

" _Great. Until then, you might want to moisten the air in your house, or at least a single room, with a humidifier. That will clear up Vanessa's sinuses to some extent. You can also use saline and a suction bulb to clear up her nose."_

Tyson grimaced at this. It sounded terrible, but he was really sick of all the mucus and drool…he didn't realize just how messy this little girl was.

"And that's it?" Tyson asked.

" _For now. I will determine what else can be done upon examining her."_

"Thanks doc," Tyson rubbed his eyes. "We'll see you soon."

Hanging up the phone, Tyson put it back on the receiver and turned towards Hilary, who was still holding Vanessa against her chest. The baby had calmed down to a degree, but she was still whining and occasionally letting out a small sob here and there.

"Well?" Hilary breathed. "What did he say?"

"The doctor said that more than likely, it's a cold," Tyson rubbed the back of his neck now. "But he still wants to examine Vanessa just to be sure. We have an appointment at 2."

"That's in less than an hour," Hilary noted.

"Mmhmm," Tyson nodded.

"Okay, we have to get Vanessa ready," Hilary continued to bounce the baby, who hadn't calmed down anymore. "It's cold outside, so we have to make sure she stays nice and warm when we take her out."

''What about Tucker?''

''I'll call my Mom. She'll take care of it!'' Hilary rushed.

"Sure thing," Tyson took possession of the phone once again, watching as Hilary nodded and headed towards the stairs, the still miserable infant beginning to wail in her arms.

 **XXX**

Tyson groaned and rubbed his temples. "Hilary…I feel _really_ bad for Vanessa, and I wish there was _something_ I could do to help her, but all of this crying is starting to give me a headache."

"Tyson, I can't stop her," Hilary sighed. "I've been doing everything I possibly can to calm her down: holding her, rocking her, bouncing her, rubbing her back, I've even tried to feed her! But none of it is working. Not even the ride in the car calmed her down! She just feels really, really sick and it's hard for her, the poor little thing."

Vanessa was still sobbing in her carrier, staring up at her mother as she wailed. Hilary felt miserable. It was as though the baby was begging her mother for help, to make the illness go away, and there was nothing Hilary could do to make everything all better. As a mother, it was awful.

"I know, baby," Hilary murmured, lowering the hood of the bright pink wool coat that Vanessa was wearing. "You feel icky. I'm so sorry, little girl. Mommy is going to do everything that she can to help you."

Vanessa screamed, and in response, Tyson further buried his face into his hands. Frowning, Hilary quickly took off the light pink blanket that covered Vanessa's small body and unstrapped the girl, lifting her out of the carrier in order to bounce her up and down once again.

"Try taking her coat off," Tyson glanced up at Hilary. "Maybe she's too hot now that we're inside."

Nodding, Hilary gently slipped off the jacket and left in the carrier, leaving Vanessa in only her yellow fleece footed pajamas printed with purple stars. Humming softly, Hilary kissed the baby's head and held her against her chest.

"Please, sweetie," Hilary begged, "no more crying. Mommy hates it so much when you cry."

Still wailing, Vanessa looked over at her father and held a small hand out towards him. Frowning, Tyson gently rubbed her fingers, which led the young girl to squeak in the midst of her sobs and grab hold of her father's index finger.

"Calm down, princess," Tyson murmured. "This can't be good for you when you're sick! Mommy and I are right here…we're going to help you, baby."

Vanessa hiccupped and finally stopped crying. She still had some tears slipping out of her eyes and falling down her cheeks. She was red in the face and still breathing heavily, but otherwise she appeared to have calmed down.

"She really does listen to you, Tyson," Hilary smiled up at her husband.

Chuckling, Tyson just shrugged and replied, "I don't even think she knows what I'm saying. I've just noticed that if you're really gentle with her, like you talk calmly to them and don't act too crazy, they tend to relax and listen to you. If only because you sound so nice."

As Tyson continued to quietly comfort his daughter, Dr. Nick emerged from the back and called Vanessa's name, causing Tyson and Hilary to look up.

"Hi doc," Tyson grinned, trying to free his finger from Vanessa's hand. It didn't work, however, as Vanessa just squeezed tighter and stared at her father with an expression that, if Tyson was correct, seemed to read _just what do you think you're doing? I need that._

"Sorry princess," Tyson whispered, smiling at the baby. He stood up, making sure to keep his arm lowered so Vanessa could continue holding onto his finger. Giggling, Hilary got up as well, holding onto Vanessa's carrier on her free right arm.

The young parents followed the doctor into an examination room, where Hilary, who was used to visiting the pediatrician at this point, put Vanessa down on the smaller table that was meant for babies. Vanessa began to whine immediately once she was put down, concerning Hilary once again.

"Come on, baby," Hilary sighed, playing with the infant's hair. "No more fussing!"

"Has she been exceptionally cranky?" Dr. Nick smirked as he closed the door.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Tyson moaned. "Screaming and crying and wailing…it never seems to end!"

"She cried the whole way here," Hilary added.

"Yes, that sounds like a sick baby to me," Dr. Nick nodded sympathetically. "Poor thing. I'm just going to give her an examination to make sure that my suspicions are correct."

As soon as Dr. Nick stepped into Vanessa's view, the baby lost any composure she had regained and started to scream her little head off. She flailed her arms, kicked her feet, and yelled just as loud as she possibly could.

"I'm gonna need to take a whole bunch of pain relievers once we get home," Tyson grabbed at his head.

"Tyson, how could you be so insensitive to our little girl?" Hilary bit, making sure to keep her hand on the baby's head in an attempt to soothe her.

"I'm not, I told you how bad I feel!" Tyson frowned. "I wish she wouldn't cry so much, but there's really not much we can do about it!"

Hilary opened her mouth to respond with an even angrier comment, but Dr. Nick cut her off before she could speak. "Yes, a baby's first illness can be very stressful on the parents." Hilary turned to look at the pediatrician, who simply smiled at her. "It's alright. Especially because Vanessa is so young! This isn't something easy to cope with."

Smiling sadly, Hilary continued to stroke the baby's hair. Moving closer to Vanessa, Dr. Nick undid the Velcro on the front of Vanessa's pajamas and put his stethoscope buds in his ears before placing the metal circle on the baby's chest.

At the contact, Vanessa screamed again, and Hilary was beginning to become completely unnerved. Looking over at Tyson, she pleaded, "Tyson, please help me."

"Huh?" Tyson looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"You calmed her down before," Hilary motioned her head towards Vanessa. "Could you try and do it again?"

Tyson seemed taken aback by the request, but either way, he nodded and stood up, approaching the small examination table and covering Vanessa's very tiny hand with his much larger one. Still wailing, Vanessa looked up, locking her tearful eyes onto her father.

"Hey there, baby girl," Tyson smiled sweetly at his daughter. "Sorry, but Daddy doesn't like it much when you scream. It hurts my heart to see you so upset! It hurts my ears too…"

Vanessa whimpered but ceased her screams of pain and discomfort. She cooed up at her father, no longer caring so much that the doctor was giving her an examination. Tyson chuckled and gently played with the small girl's fingers, causing her to turn her head and watch his every move.

"You're curious about what I'm doing, right?" Tyson whispered. Vanessa babbled and relaxed her body, breathing more gently which, in turn, made the doctor's job much easier. Hilary, meanwhile, just watched Tyson in amazement. He was completely natural with the child, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"It's just as I thought," Dr. Nick pulled up and took the buds out of his ears. "A cold. Her lungs seem to be pretty clear, which is good."

"Thank goodness," Hilary breathed out shakily. "So, what can we do for her?"

"Not much, unfortunately," Dr. Nick sighed. "Since she's only 2 months old, she can't take any medication yet. You'll just have to use a humidifier to moisten the air in her room, clean her nose out, and feed her less often. I would also try and keep her away from others, since a cold is highly transferrable."

"And the fever?" Hilary inquired.

Retrieving an ear thermometer, Dr. Nick checked the baby's temperature, who still didn't fuss at the contact thanks to her father. Once the instrument beeped, Dr. Nick examined the screen and smiled gently. "It's a very mild fever. Just barely at 99. I would only be considered if her temperature was at 100.5."

"Okay," Hilary felt so relieved. She was still upset that her baby had a cold, but she knew that it was bound to happen eventually, and there was really nothing she could do to prevent it. There were just too many viruses floating around in the air.

"You can bring her back at the end of the week for a follow up," Dr. Nick suggested. "Hopefully by then she'll be feeling better."

"Thank you doctor," Hilary smiled at the older man. Leaning down, she fixed the front of Vanessa's pajamas before walking away from her to fetch the carrier.

"Hilary?" Tyson raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to pick up Vanessa?"

"I think you should carry her," Hilary trilled, holding onto the carrier as she approached Tyson and laid a hand on his strong bicep. "You seem to be the perfect medicine for our sick little princess."

Laughing, Tyson nodded and reached down to gather his young daughter into his arms. He cradled her tiny body, beaming as she stared up at him with wide, curious eyes.

"Mommy thinks that you need a big dose of snuggles from Daddy," Tyson cooed. "What do you think, beautiful?"

Vanessa made no sound, but tilted her head until it gently bumped against Tyson's chest.

"Alright then," Tyson rubbed his nose against Vanessa's much smaller one, which was red from all the sniffling she'd been doing. "One prescription of love and hugs coming right up!"

"You're so cheesy," Hilary laughed, walking towards the door of the room.

Twisting his mouth, Tyson peered down at the baby once again and asked, "Do you think I'm cheesy?"

Vanessa stuck her little tongue out, but still made no other noise.

"See? You love me," Tyson grinned. "Mommy is right! I _am_ the perfect medicine for you!"


	26. Chapter 26: Fireworks

**_BOOM._**

"Mommy!" Vanessa whined, covering her ears.

Hilary sighed and gathered the little six year old into her arms, kissing her on the head as she hugged her close.

"Too loud," Vanessa complained, looking up at her mother.

"I know, baby, they're pretty noisy," Hilary smiled at the toddler. "But aren't they so pretty?" She pointed at the sky, and Vanessa looked up to where her mother was motioning.

Explosions of color were bursting into the night sky, in all different shapes and hues. Some of them just burst into big sparkles, while others formed hearts or even carton characters. Vanessa _did_ find them pretty; she just wished they wouldn't make so much noise!

Alan, of course, just _loved_ the fireworks that were shaped like Goofy or Donald Duck. They were his absolute favorite. Not only because they looked like cartoons, which were Alan's favorite thing in the entire _world,_ but because he could try and name every single Disney Character that was shown in a firework, and his Dad would get so proud of him. After all, the only thing Alan loved more than Cartoons, it seemed, was making sure that Tyson was proud of him.

Sitting atop his father's shoulders, Alan's eyes gleamed when another shaped firework exploded in the nearly pitch black night.

"Daddy, it's Pluto!" Alan pointed at the shape.

"Yeah, great job, champ!" Tyson grinned, tilting his head back to look at the boy.

"Am I smawt, Daddy?"

Tyson chuckled and answered, "Yes, buddy. You are the smartest little guy I've ever met!"

At this, Alan grinned wildly and buried his face in Tyson's messy locks. Tyson laughed at this and turned his head to look at Hilary. His smile disappeared, however, when he realized that Vanessa was holding her ears.

"Hil, what's wrong with Vanessa?" Tyson motioned his head towards the little girl.

"The fireworks are too loud for her," Hilary stroked the young girl's hair. "She doesn't like all of the noise."

"Here," Tyson lifted Alan off of his shoulders and instead held him in his left arm.

"Why down, Daddy?" Alan tilted his head.

"You'll see," Tyson smiled. He took Vanessa from Hilary with his right arm and sat down in the grass, both children nestled in his lap. He pried Vanessa's hands off of her ears, causing her to shriek and look up at her father in displeasure.

"Daddy, no!" Vanessa whined. "Too loud!"

"It's okay, baby," Tyson smiled against her temple. "They're not gonna' hurt you."

Another set of fireworks exploded, and Vanessa let out a wail, once again trying to cover her ears. Tyson was still holding her little wrists, however, and with him being obviously much stronger than a little six year old, she couldn't accomplish that.

"It's okay!" Tyson laughed softly. He lowered his lips to Vanessa's ear and whispered, "Really, it's okay." Vanessa whined and buried her face in Tyson's chest as another set of fireworks decorated the night sky. Tyson kept his head down by Vanessa's and kept murmuring sweetly to her. Hilary lowered herself next to Tyson and watched carefully, her auburn eyes darting between Vanessa's fearful expression, and the calm smile set on her husband's handsome face.

"They're just a little loud," Tyson whispered to Vanessa, "but that's all! Nothing scary. Here, look up at them."

Vanessa looked up at the sky, the fireworks reflecting in her bright, young eyes.

"Minnie!" Alan yelled excitedly, pointing up at the bright yellow replication of the mouse that was glittering in the air.

"Yeah, see?" Tyson nudged Vanessa. "It's Minnie! You love her, don't you?"

"Uh huh," Vanessa replied softly, nodding her head very slowly.

"Why's all the noise scaring my brave little princess anyway?" Tyson smirked. "You watch my big, _loud_ battles all the time!" Vanessa just looked at her father's face and blinked. He laughed and kissed the top of her head before turning his attention back onto Alan. "Tell me, little buddy, what other characters are we seeing up in the sky?"

Vanessa looked at her brother and waited for him to say something. The toddler had his own eyes locked on the bursts of color in the sky, waiting for some more shapes to appear. Vanessa too looked up in the sky, wondering if she could name them just as well as her little brother.

At that moment, a familiar figure popped up in the sky, causing both Alan and Vanessa to gasp in full acknowledgement.

"Mickie!" They yelled simultaneously.

Tyson and Hilary both laughed, finding their children's sheer joy to be absolutely precious. There was nothing either one loved more than seeing their kids happy.

"Yeah!" Tyson hugged the children. "Awesome! I've got two super smart little cuties on my hands!"

Somehow, this little game seemed to calm Vanessa down and distract her from the fact that the fireworks were loud. She and Alan continued to call out the names of the Disney Characters that appeared, making Tyson genuinely proud and causing Hilary's smile to grow wider and wider by the minute.

After awhile, this seemed to tire them out a bit, as they sat more silently in Tyson's lap. Occasionally, they would still call out the name of whichever firework replicated character had appeared in the sky, but for the most part, they were calm and silently watching the show.

Tyson kept his attention on the fireworks, but was brought out of his trance by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to the right and found Hilary smiling sweetly at him, which he was happy to return.

"You're such a good Daddy," Hilary murmured to the Beyblade Champion.

"I think you've told me that one before," Tyson chuckled.

"Because I mean it so much," Hilary took her hand off of Tyson's broad shoulder and replaced it with her head, "you're the best Dad I've ever seen, and I'm so happy that it's _our_ children who benefit from it."

Tyson just smiled at this and hugged the kids more closely to his body. He loved the children dearly, and it made him feel completely confident when someone complimented his parenting skills. _Especially_ when it was Hilary who was doing the complimenting.

The young parents watched the fireworks display in comfortable silence for the next few minutes, happily snuggled up to one another while the kids sat contently on Tyson's lap. Hilary continued to get closer to Tyson's neck, which led him to look down at her and grin sweetly. Hilary turned her eyes up to Tyson and giggled quietly, happy to be under his loving gaze. They leaned in close, preparing to kiss, when Vanessa's happy, high pitched voice broke their near contact.

"Mommy, Daddy! Look! Heawts!"

Tyson and Hilary gazed up into the dark sky. Indeed, bright red hearts were bursting across the skyline, fading into scarlet sparkles while more hearts arose behind them.

"Yes, baby," Hilary smiled and stroked the top of Vanessa's hand. "Hearts!"

When she lifted her head back up, Tyson surprised her with a delicate kiss on the lips. After a few seconds, Hilary pulled away, her eyes sparkling just as brightly as the fireworks in the sky.

"You're a very good Mommy," Tyson noted, Hilary smiling jovially at the notion.

And with that, they kissed again, the heart shaped fireworks bursting high above their romantically linked heads.


	27. Chapter 27: Bed Rest

"Tyson, you do realize that I _can_ walk, right?"

The World Champion smiled down at his wife, who he was carrying into the house bridal style.

"Yeah, but you're not _supposed_ to. I don't want you overworking yourself! The doctor said you shouldn't."

Hilary pouted, leading Tyson to laugh and rub his nose against hers. She turned her head to the side and saw the carrier: predominantly tan in color with quilted material and printed with brown, yellow, light blue, and light yellow flowers. Her and Tyson's little newborn son was strapped safely inside, fast asleep with his head resting on her right shoulder. Hilary watched the baby's chest rise and fall with his gentle breathing, his tiny fingers twitching every now and again as he snoozed away.

"My handsome young man," Hilary murmured happily.

"I think he's happy in his new home," Tyson smiled.

Hilary moaned suddenly, pressing a hand against the side of her stomach which, having only had the baby three days ago, still maintained a bit of a bump.

"Are you okay?" Tyson asked worriedly, his lips bending into a frown.

"I'm just so sore…" Hilary sighed. "I can barely breathe without this stupid incision hurting."

"I should definitely get you into bed," Tyson started making his way up the steps. "Might as well get this whole bed rest thing started now."

"Have I told you how much I hate this?" Hilary smiled mockingly at her husband.

"I know, I know," Tyson's smile, on the other hand, was sympathetic, "lying around in bed all day isn't exactly your idea of fun. But you _have_ been through a major surgery, Hil. Besides, it's only one week of strict bed rest. Then you only have to take it easy for another few weeks."

"I can't take care of Alan this way," Hilary frowned. "Or Vanessa, for that matter."

"Of course you can," Tyson chuckled lovingly. "I'll make sure of it. For the next week, I'm your personal servant."

Hilary sighed happily and rubbed her cheek against Tyson's strong chest. She felt so safe and happy with him…he was such an amazing husband, to be so willing to take care of her that way. Reaching the bedroom, he very gently placed Hilary down on her side of the bed, stroking her hair for a few moments as he pulled the covers over her body.

"How's that?" Tyson asked sweetly.

"Nice," Hilary smiled, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

Suddenly, the sound of crying pierced the air, causing Hilary to gasp and turn her anxious eyes onto Tyson.

"The baby…" Hilary murmured painfully.

"I'll go get him!" Tyson jumped up, smiling reassuringly at Hilary. He hurried out of the room, leaving behind a fairly miserable Hilary. _She_ wanted to be the one running to get their child! Hilary felt completely useless just lying in bed.

It didn't take long for Tyson to return, holding the upset little newborn in his arms. He was gently bouncing him up and down, making eye contact with Hilary the entire time as though she would attack him if he didn't.

"Let me see," Hilary held her arms out, her lip quivering slightly.

Tyson knelt down and placed Alan in Hilary's arms, watching as the infant continued to wail and squirm in his mother's arms.

"Shh…it's alright," Hilary whispered to the baby. "Mama's right here…don't cry, my little sweetheart."

Tyson was completely transfixed by the infant. He was only 3 days old, so he was about as small and delicate as he could possibly be. His eyes were almost always sealed shut; the bright sunlight was typically too much for Alan's still sensitive eyes to handle. His hair, dark, thin, and wispy, stuck up in places, the soft little tufts appearing surprisingly neat for such a tiny, squirmy little thing. The baby's cheeks held a constant rose tint, which made his appear healthy and warm.

"Oh, Tyson, I think he's cold!" Hilary came to realization, holding the baby a little closer to her.

"Huh?" Tyson shook himself free of his thoughts. "Sorry, Hil, what was that?"

"Alan, he's cold," Hilary rubbed up and down the infant's bare arm to try and warm him up. It was August, so Tyson and Hilary had brought him home in white cotton footed pajamas with short, ruffled sleeves, edged in blue with three red satin bows tied down the front. Despite it being the summer months, however, babies had a tendency to be colder than most people, and preferred to be kept warm.

"Oh," Tyson frowned, suddenly feeling very badly for his baby. He knew all he was only cold, but he didn't want his little guy to be uncomfortable at all! "What should I do? I'll do anything!"

"Tyson, it's not a big deal," Hilary giggled. "Just get his blanket!"

"Uh…right!" Tyson chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He darted out of the room, leaving behind Hilary who continued to tend to the upset baby.

He hurried down the stairs, to the bags he had packed for Hilary and Alan while they were in the hospital. Opening up the smaller bag, which contained Alan's things, Tyson pulled out the blue receiving blanket that Alan had first been wrapped in after he was born.

Before he could go back up the stairs, Tyson felt something attach itself to his legs. Raising an eyebrow, Tyson peered down and realized that it was Vanessa who had latched onto him.

"What's up, peanut?" Tyson asked, eager to bring the blanket to his wailing newborn son.

"Where's Mommy?" Vanessa giggled.

"Don't you remember?" Tyson frowned. "Mommy has to stay in bed for the next few days. We talked about this yesterday when we were fixing the house up for her."

"Oh, yeah," Vanessa sulked.

Feeling badly for his daughter, Tyson smiled sympathetically and asked, "do you want to come see her?"

Vanessa perked up at this. "I'm allowed to?"

"Of course you are!" Tyson chuckled. "Just because Mommy has to stay in bed doesn't mean we can't be with her!"

Clearly happy to hear this, Vanessa followed after her father, her face lighting up as soon as they entered the bedroom and she caught sight of her mother sitting up in the bed.

"Here's Alan's blanket!" Tyson smiled, holding up the material.

"Thank you, Ty!" Hilary giggled sweetly.

Alan was still crying and wiggling, causing Tyson to coo and once again kneel down.

"My poor little champ," Tyson kissed the top of his head. "Are you cold, buddy? I brought you your blanket!"

"Here, let's wrap up our little cutie pie," Hilary smiled, trying to spread out the blanket with one hand while holding the baby in her other arm.

Vanessa saw her mother struggling to do both, and instantly wanted to help her. Climbing up onto the bed, Vanessa crawled over to her mother and spread the blanket out for her.

"Oh, Vanessa!" Hilary cooed, beaming at her elder one. "Thank you so much, sweetheart! You're such a big help!"

Vanessa simply smiled and nodded, happy that she was able to help her mother.

"Here we go, little sprinkle," Hilary giggled softly, using her own special endearment for the baby. She placed Alan down in the middle of the blanket, Vanessa smiling down at the infant as he continued to squirm and fuss. "Shh…"

Hilary folded up the blanket until Alan was wrapped in it. With that done, she picked the baby back up and cuddled him, smiling as the infant quickly calmed down and stopped inching around.

"See?" Hilary beamed up at Tyson. "I told you he was cold!"

"I believed you," Tyson chuckled, looking down at the relaxed baby.

He was even cuter when he wasn't crying. His eyes were still closed, but his face was no longer scrunched up and red. His full, pouty lips were set into a very small 'O' shape, and they were moving as if he was sucking on a bottle.

"He's so beautiful," Hilary awed.

"He really is," Tyson grinned.

Vanessa moved closer to her mother, brushing up against her arm as she leaned in to stare at the baby. Hilary turned her eyes onto her daughter and smiled lovingly, moving the baby closer to her.

"Do you love your little brother, Vanessa?" Hilary asked expectantly.

"Yes!" Vanessa nodded rapidly. She leaned forward and gave Alan a kiss, which caused Hilary to squeal affectionately. "He's a really pretty baby, Mommy."

Alan finally opened his eyes and let out a tiny squeak, staring right at Vanessa. The girl giggled and stroked Alan's hair, Hilary watching on contently.

"I think he likes you, dear" Hilary marveled. "He's only been opening his eyes for you!"

Vanessa just continued to smile and run her fingers through the baby's hair. He freed one of his hands from the blanket and reached up, grabbing onto one of Vanessa's fingers and holding it tightly.

"Why does he _always_ do that, Mommy?" Vanessa pouted slightly.

"I told you, sweetie, he knows you're protective of her," Hilary beamed. "He feels safe with you, and that's why he always grabs your finger like that!"

"Can I hold him?" Vanessa looked up at her mother.

"Sure, he seems to be in a good enough mood," Hilary giggled.

"You two have fun hanging out," Tyson kissed the top of Hilary's head, "I'm gonna' go check on Tucker and see what he's up to."

"Okay, sweetheart," Hilary smiled at Tyson before he left. Turning back to Vanessa, she inquired, "do you remember how to hold the baby?"

"Yeah!" Vanessa sounded rather proud of herself as she folded her arms in the way his mother had taught her.

"Good girl!" Hilary beamed. She placed Alan in Vanessa's arms, watching in amazement as the baby squirmed happily in his sister's hold.

"Hi, Alan!" Vanessa greeted the baby. "Do you like bein' home?"

Alan pursed his lips and reached a hand up towards the girl's face.

"You make a very good big sister," Hilary ran her fingers through Vanessa's pitch brown mane.

"Thanks!" Vanessa's face lit up at the comment. She stopped to think for a moment before putting forward, "Mom, can I ask you somethin'?"

Hilary was a little taken back by being called "Mom" instead of "Mommy," but she supposed that was going to become a normal thing with Vanessa, since she was getting older. With an angelic smile, Hilary nodded and replied, "of course, dear!"

"Can I see your scar?"

If Hilary had been taken back by Vanessa's inquiry before, she was completely _shocked_ by this one. What was even worse was the question Hilary had to follow up with: "Which scar?"

Admittedly, Hilary had more than one scar on her body. Of course, the most recent one was from having Alan, but the other prominent one stemmed from an accident Hilary had been involved in as a young girl. Either way, Hilary had no idea how Vanessa would have any knowledge on _either_ scar. She didn't know the specifics of how Alan was born, and she certainly wasn't aware of Hilary's childhood mishap.

"The one from havin' the baby," Vanessa blinked, thinking the answer was obvious.

"Va…Vanessa…" Hilary was quite honestly stunned. "H…how did you know that…that I had a scar from…that?"

"Kenny told me," Vanessa shrugged.

 _Chief!_ Hilary hissed inwardly. _I'm gonna' kill you!_

She should've known that her daughter would've gotten curious, and that Kenny would've given in and told her anything after he was sure that she'd be okay.

"You don't want to see that, princess!" Hilary tried to laugh it off.

"Yeah I do!" Vanessa beamed.

She knew the scar was from having a baby, of course. But she already planned on telling great Grandpa that her mother had gotten the scar by getting involved in a fierce battle between a pack of wild and enraged hounds, with only her mallet to back her up.

Sighing, Hilary pulled down the waistband of her shorts, just enough so Vanessa could see the bright red, and still very much healing, scar. It spanned several inches on the very lower bottom of her stomach, with dissolving stitches holding it together.

"Whoa, that's awesome!" Vanessa looked up at her mother and beamed.

"I think it's a little icky, but I guess that's a boy thing," Hilary giggled, putting her shorts back in place.

Alan let out a gurgle, wiggling in Vanessa's arms. Hilary smiled and held her hand against the top of the baby's head, waiting for him to calm down.

"It's okay, baby Alan," Vanessa murmured. "You're safe with me!"

Alan calmed down, and Hilary's eyes widened. It was as if the child really understood what Vanessa was saying! Did he?

"I'm so happy that you love her," Hilary whispered to Vanessa. She hadn't even thought about saying that; it just came right out of her mouth.

"Yeah!" Vanessa looked up and nodded excitedly. "I'll always love her, Mommy."

Hilary sunk down onto her back, keeping her eyes on Vanessa and Alan as she made herself more comfortable. She figured that she had to; she'd be stuck in there for awhile.

"Mommy?" Vanessa asked again.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Hilary smiled.

"Can I come visit you and Alan every day?"

At this, Hilary laughed airily. "Of course, baby! You live here! You can come in my room anytime you want."

"I'm going to take care of you, Alan," Vanessa rocked the baby. "'Cause I'm your big sister, and that's my job!"

Watching Vanessa interact with Alan and listening to her little conversations with and reassurances to the baby were making Hilary's heart soar. This was a little girl who, upon hearing she was going to be a big sister, grew completely irate and wouldn't even acknowledge her parents for an entire month. Now, she was the ideal older sister, holding the baby and treating him like a little princess. Hilary couldn't have asked for or even imagined anything better, and watching it was just making everything better.

 _Maybe bed rest won't be so bad,_ Hilary thought with a sweet smile.


	28. Chapter 28:Cupcakes

"Aw, our baby is so cute."

"What are you lookin' at, Hil?"

Hilary looked up to find Tyson peering over her shoulder, a delicate and curious smile set on his handsome face.

"The picture of our new baby from the ultrasound today," Hilary held the black and white print up towards her husband. "Isn't it adorable?"

"Of course it is," Tyson leaned down so his head was resting on Hilary's shoulders and his arms wrapped around her only slightly bloated belly. "Our babies are always adorable!"

"And it's _so_ tiny!" Hilary giggled, taking another look at the picture. "Such an itty bitty little thing."

"Mommy!"

Hilary turned her eyes down, finding Vanessa running up to her with excited sparkles in her young eyes.

"What is it, sugar?" Hilary smiled sweetly at her child.

"I wanna' make cupcakes!" Vanessa beamed.

"Cupcakes?" Hilary asked.

"Please, Mommy?" Vanessa was making the cutest face she possibly could. "It'll be fun!"

"Sure," Hilary agreed to it, the child getting excited and running around the kitchen as she giggled.

Hilary knew she should be taking things easy, but making cupcakes really wasn't all that strenuous. Besides, bringing a new baby into the family was going to be a big change, especially for Vanessa. She wanted to make sure that her first knew she was still going to be loved and treated just the same she was now. Hilary didn't have any younger siblings, but she did have two older cousins, and she had long heard the stories about how jealous and upset they'd been when they learned she was going to be born. As a result, Hilary was going to go out of her way to make sure Vanessa never felt that way.

Standing up, Hilary walked over to the cabinets and opened them up, pulling out the cupcake pans.

"Okay, pumpkin," Tyson asked the excited girl, laughing softly as she jumped up and down next to his legs, "what flavor cupcakes should we make?"

Hilary smiled to herself. She was so happy that Tyson agreed with her belief in making the child feel the same as she always had. He had an older brother after all, but Tyson felt exactly the same as Hilary when it came to making sure their daughter were well adjusted to a new sibling. He had assured her he was going to help in any way possible, and so far he had made good on his promise.

"What do you say, Vanessa?" Tyson looked down at his daughter.

"I like vanilla," Vanessa answered softly, before her expression faltered into a confusion, and she frowned ''But I like chocolate too.''

Shrugging, Tyson pulled out two boxes of cupcake mix and decided, "Alright, we'll just make both!"

The girl grew more enthusiastic and hugged Tyson's legs, clearly loving the idea he had come up with. Sighing, Hilary looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her husband, which did not go unnoticed by him.

"What did I do?" He innocently asked.

"Really?" Hilary sighed. " _Two_ different kinds of cupcakes?"

"How hard can it be?" Tyson scoffed, walking over to Hilary and putting the boxes down on the counter top.

"Well, you wouldn't know, since you can't cook anything," Hilary placed a hand on her hip as she leaned the rest of her body against the kitchen counter.

"Oh, yeah, okay," Tyson rolled his eyes. " _That's_ why."

"Don't get sarcastic with me," Hilary gave Tyson a small slap on his bicep, which, not surprisingly, didn't hurt the man due to his strong muscles, "you can barely use the microwave."

Grinning mischievously, Tyson groaned and complained, "You know, you try to make popcorn _once_ and the microwave gets a _little_ overheated, and your wife won't let you forget it."

"A little overheated?" Hilary's jaw practically dropped. "Try _burst into flames._ "

" _Small_ flames," Tyson muttered sheepishly.

"Yeah, whatever you say, sweetie," Hilary gently pinched Tyson's cheek, cooing to him in a way that she had done to Vanessa when she was just a baby. Giggling, her voice returned to normal as she drawled sweetly, "why don't you just stick to _decorating_ the cupcakes with Vanessa? That's much more at your skill level."

Growling, Tyson grabbed Hilary's wrist and pulled her hand away from his face, biting back, "I'm not a baby!"

"No, but you lack the ability to _cook,_ " Hilary sighed. "And now that you've gotten our daughter all excited about having chocolate _and_ vanilla cupcakes, that's just more work for me."

"I'm going to help," Tyson separated the pans. "It can't be that hard!"

Groaning, Hilary turned around and pressed both of her palms against the counter, quietly begging, "Please don't help me…"

"Uh, uh, uh," Tyson clicked his tongue, lifting Hilary's head with his fingers. "I'm going to help. I should learn after all, right? You're not going to be able to run around the house too much over the next few months. I want to become much more sufficient!"

Hilary's static expression was soon replaced by one of displeasure, her eyes narrowing as she prompted, "Are you insinuating that I'm going to get too fat to move around?"

"No," Tyson replied quickly, kissing Hilary on the lips before turning back to the baking materials before them. "So…what do we do first?"

Hilary rolled her eyes, but knew there would be no way to get Tyson away from the ingredients. Once Tyson put his mind to something, he wouldn't stop until he'd succeeded…or at least tried. "First you have to pour the cake mix into a bowl. Since we're making two different flavors of cupcakes, you have to use two separate bowls."

"No problem," Tyson's eyes sparkled. Looking down at Vanessa, Tyson smiled as he gently inquired, "Would you like to get me the bowls?"

"Sure!" Vanessa opened the cabinet doors, searching through the various pots and pans until she found two mixing bowls to hand off to her father.

"Wow, thanks baby!" Tyson beamed. "Great job." Placing the bowls on the counter, Tyson grinned at his wife and prompted, "now what?"

"You pour the mix into the bowls, vanilla in one and chocolate in the other," Hilary instructed. "I'll get the other ingredients. Don't touch anything else until I come back."

Twisting his mouth, Tyson bent down and gathered Vanessa into his arms, sitting her on top of the counter.

"You are gonna' help make the cupcakes," Tyson opened the boxes and handed one her: chocolate for himself, and vanilla for Vanessa. "You have to pour the powder into a bowl."

She did just that, Hilary smiling at them as she returned with the other necessary ingredients for the cupcakes. "Wow, my baby is so helpful!" Hilary giggled, putting down the eggs and water.

"I wanna' crack the eggs, Mommy!" Vanessa cried, holding her hands out.

"You have to be very, very careful when you do that," Hilary warned. "You can't get any eggshells in the bowl, because then the cupcakes will be crunchy. That's icky!"

"I'll be careful," Vanessa's eyes widened.

"How about Mommy _helps_ you crack the eggs?" Hilary asked, holding a hand against the middle of her stomach. Tyson took notice of this and raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it.

"Okay," Vanessa sighed, not seeming thrilled with the idea.

Hilary's smile faltered for a second as she rubbed her hand across her very tiny bump, but it was quick to return, albeit not as strong as before. Picking up one of the eggs, she walked over to where Vanessa was and handed the egg to her, which she held carefully between her fingers.

"Good," Hilary nodded. She took the girl's wrists and moved her hands towards the bowl, very gently tapping the egg against the rim of the bowl. "This is how you want to crack it, okay? We don't want to hit it too hard, because then the egg will go everywhere and make a big mess."

"I don't like messes," Vanessa giggled, looking up at her mother.

"Oh, I know you don't," Hilary smirked. "Because you are part me, and me is _definitely_ not in the mood to be cleaning one up."

Guiding Vanessa's hands, Hilary helped the young girl to tenderly crack the egg open, which excited her greatly.

"I did it, Mommy!" Vanessa cheered, looking up at Hilary with bright eyes and a wide smile.

"You sure did, sweetheart," Hilary let go of Vanessa's wrists and pressed both hands against her belly. She began to look a little flushed, and it was finally enough to evoke a question from Tyson.

"Hil, you doing okay?" Tyson blinked.

"Yeah, I'll be just…" Hilary trailed off and took a breath in, confusing Tyson even further. "You know what; can you just watch Vanessa for a second?"

Before Tyson could respond, Hilary walked swiftly away, just a pace or two below running.

"…sure," Tyson squeaked lamely.

Vanessa looked up at Tyson, a cross between confusion and concern plastered on her young face.

"Where did Mommy go, Daddy?" Vanessa inquired.

"I think the baby is making her tummy hurt again," Tyson smiled sympathetically at the young girl. "Mommy will be back in a few minutes, I'm sure."

"How come the baby hurts her tummy?" Vanessa frowned. "Does the baby hate her?"

"No, of course not," Tyson chuckled, stroking his daughter's locks. "It's not her fault; she's growing in there! And sometimes, that just makes Mommy's tummy hurt."

"Does Mommy get mad at the baby for doing that?" Vanessa really seemed to get the idea that there was resentment involved with morning sickness.

"Mommy could never be mad at the baby," Tyson smirked. "Just like you! She doesn't like getting sick, of course, but she knows that it's not the baby's choice for her to be getting sick."

Vanessa nodded, smiling at Tyson. She was happy to know that her Mommy wasn't going to come back in a bad mood, or be mad at the baby. Vanessa loved her little soon to arrive sibling, and she didn't want anyone to be mad at it.

Tyson turned his eyes back onto Vanessa, and nearly fell on the floor when he saw what the young girl was doing.

"Vanessa!" Tyson cried, grabbing his daughter's arm as a reflex. "What are you doing?"

The five year old looked up at Tyson, seemingly unaffected by the question. "I'm crackin' the rest of the eggs!"

Tyson's heart shot up into his throat. Peering into the bowl, all of Tyson's fears became reality when he saw the tiny pieces of white shell scattered on top of the cupcake mix.

"Vanessa…" Tyson held his head in his hands, "you should've waited for Mommy!"

"I did good, Daddy," Vanessa frowned. "I cracked three eggs, like Mommy said!"

"Yeah, but you got pieces of shell in the bowl," Tyson sighed.

As if things couldn't get any worse for Tyson, the sound of footsteps caused him even more panic than when he'd realized that Vanessa had been cracking the eggs on her own. Running over to the sink, Tyson began to wash his hands as quickly as possible, drying them off and running back over to the counter. As soon as he reached into the bowl to begin the task of removing the eggshell fragments, however, Hilary stepped into the room, the color returned to her face that was now displaying a fairly aggravated expression.

"Tyson, what in God' name are you doing?" Hilary shook her head.

"I…uh…I…" Tyson stammered. He didn't know how to respond. Hilary hated lying, but at the same time, the truth would get him cracked just like the eggs his daughter had decimated.

Growing frustrated, Hilary stomped forward and peeked into the bowl, where Tyson's fingers were just floating above the now dampened mix. Catching sight of the tiny white pieces, Hilary cocked an eyebrow and raised her head to stare at Tyson, a look of pure aggravation set in her deep auburn eyes.

"Really?" Hilary deadpanned.

"I didn't do it," Tyson defended himself. "Vanessa did it."

"Hey!" Vanessa cried.

"Oh, very nice Tyson, tattle on your five year old ," Hilary's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Great example of being a role model!"

"But I…I…oh, never mind," Tyson slapped his hand over his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Vanessa apologized, a definitive frown set on her cute face.

"Oh, it's alright, sweetheart," Hilary hugged the girl against her. "Mommy will just pick the pieces of shell out…"

As Hilary went to work on removing the fragments of eggshell, Tyson leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Are you alright?"

Hilary rolled her eyes and turned her attention onto Tyson, hissing, "What do _you_ think?"

"Was it morning sickness?" Tyson continued just as softly.

Hilary didn't respond for a few seconds, until she finally caved in and gave a small nod to confirm Tyson's inquiry.

"Poor angel," Tyson rubbed Hilary's back.

 _This is why it's so hard to stay mad at him,_ Hilary thought begrudgingly. She wanted so badly to ignore Tyson and be completely and undeniably furious at him. But she couldn't. He was far too sweet and loving…that had always been the problem. Hilary may have gotten mad at him frequently, but what people didn't understand was that this anger never lasted for long. It couldn't. Not when the object of your annoyance was someone as wonderful as Tyson.

It had always been this way, and it would _continue_ to be this way.

Sighing, Hilary wrapped her left arm around Tyson's waist and pulled him in closer to her, so they were side by side. Smiling to himself, Tyson kissed the top of Hilary's head and reached his hand around to rub her growing belly. With his other hand, Tyson reached into the bowl, leading Hilary to turn her eyes up to the Beyblader once again.

"What are you doing?" Hilary asked slowly.

Tyson grinned into Hilary's brown hair, all but melting her heart. "I'm helping you," Tyson answered simply. "I'm becoming sufficient."

 **XXX**

It took much longer than Hilary would have liked, but at long last, the cupcakes had been finished. All of the ingredients had been mixed, poured into the pans, and baked. While they cooked, Hilary took the opportunity to lie down across Tyson's lap and allow him to rub and caress her tiny baby bump. While Tyson did this, he watched Vanessa play with Tucker on the floor, laughing and having fun with one another. Having her, in Tyson's mind at least, had always been a blessing. It gave the Tucker an automatic playmate, so they were never lonely. And even though they fought sometimes, Tyson just loved it when they got along and played together. It was too cute for words.

"I like being a Dad," Tyson softly informed his wife.

Hilary rolled her eyes up to look and smile at Tyson. "I know you do."

"Thank you for giving me our babies," Tyson continued.

"You're welcome," Hilary's smile grew wider at this.

The timer for the oven sounded, alerting the young family that their cupcakes were done baking. Overcome with excitement, Vanessa jumped up and ran into the kitchen with Tucker trailing behind her, her happy squeals easily being heard from the family room.

"Don't you go and open that oven door!" Hilary warned, sitting up and getting to her feet in order to make her way to the kitchen. "I don't need to be tending to any burns today."

At this, Tyson chuckled and followed behind his wife, eager to see how their treats had turned out. He watched as Hilary gently keeping Vanessa away from the hot appliance, assuring them that she'd be able to see the cupcakes once her mother got them out of the oven. Once the pans were safely removed, Hilary left them on the kitchen table to cool, laughing to herself as she watched Vanessa scramble onto the chairs in order to get a glimpse at the freshly baked indulgences.

"They look so tasty, Mommy!" Vanessa squealed. "Can we decorate 'em now?"

"Not yet, they're still very hot," Hilary shook her head. "But we can start to pick out what you want to decorate them with! What do you guys think would taste good on the cupcakes?"

"Frosting!" Vanessa called.

"That one is pretty obvious," Tyson agreed. "We have some in the fridge. I'll go get it."

"What about sprinkles?" Vanessa asked.

"I like sprinkles on cupcakes," Hilary nodded. "I think that would be perfect! We should have some…"

Hilary walked over to the higher cabinets, opening the door and scouring through the various containers that had been stored within the cupboard. Beaming, Hilary found the plastic bottle filled with colorful sprinkles, taking it into her hands and bringing it over to the table.

"Here are the sprinkles!" Hilary announced, smiling as the girl got thrilled and began to pick out her favorite colors in the candy.

"Wow, look at all the frosting we have!" Tyson laughed, placing three containers down on the table. "There's chocolate, vanilla, _and_ strawberry! And you can decorate them however you want!"

"You and Mommy have to help, Daddy," Vanessa smiled at the blue raven haired man.

"Huh?" Tyson was surprised by this. "Us?" He pointed between Hilary and himself.

"Uh huh!" Vanessa nodded.

''I can't decorate all these cupcakes by myself!" Vanessa laughed at the idea.

Once Hilary deemed the cupcakes cool enough to touch, Vanessa took over the pan of chocolate cupcakes, while Tyson commandeered the pan of vanilla.

"What kind of cupcake do you want, Mommy?" Vanessa asked.

"Well…I like vanilla cupcakes the best," Hilary smiled.

Vanessa took one of the cupcakes out of her pan and handed it to Hilary, who thanked the girl for giving it to her. Looking up at Tyson, Vanessa smiled and prompted, "what do you want, Daddy?"

"I'm the opposite of Mommy," Tyson smirked. "My favorite cupcakes are chocolate."

"Yay!" Vanessa clapped her hands together and gave her father a vanilla cupcake. "You're like me, Daddy."

"Yep!" Tyson agreed. ''I got some of me in you too.''

After they all had frosted their cupcakes, it was time to decorate the small treats with the colorful sprinkles. After Hilary had showered them onto her own cupcake, Tyson took the bottle and poured some sprinkles onto his own cupcake. Observing the colorful little candies, Tyson chuckled quietly to himself and plucked one with his fingers, observing it for a quiet moment.

"What are you doing?" Hilary blinked.

Tyson held the sprinkle in front of Hilary's face. He had picked a green one, knowing that was Hilary's favorite color.

"Look at how tiny it is," Tyson marveled.

"Well, yeah, it's a sprinkle," Hilary laughed just once. "Sprinkles are tiny."

"Tiny things are cute," Tyson commented, his eyes twinkling at the observation.

"Like our baby?" Hilary showed off a playful smirk. Suddenly, her words hit her like a train. Tiny…just like the little baby growing inside of her. Her sweet little miracle. It was just like a… "Sprinkle."

"Huh?" Tyson glanced back up at Hilary. "What did you say, Hil?"

"Sprinkle," Hilary held onto her belly. "This is our sprinkle."

Tyson raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand."

"Our baby is just like a sprinkle," Hilary giggled. "Tiny and sweet."

"Oh, I get it," Tyson smirked. "You're going to nickname our baby "sprinkle" now, aren't you?"

"I think it's a very cute nickname," Hilary rubbed her belly. "Sprinkle." She pulled out the sonogram image of her unborn baby, holding it next to the cupcake that was covered in colorful sprinkles.

"I think it's cute," Tyson agreed, taking a bite out of his cupcake. "Nice work, Hil!"

"Thanks," Hilary giggled. "I didn't know I was so good at coming up with nicknames!"

"Oh…" Tyson looked away awkwardly.

"What?" Hilary searched Tyson's face for a hint of why he was acting so sheepish.

"I was actually complimenting you on these cupcakes…they're really good."


	29. Chapter 29: Alan's First Word

"Ma! Ma!"

"Oooh!" Hilary squealed, clasping her hands together. Looking over her shoulder, she chirped, "do you hear that, Tyson?"

"Hear what?" Tyson, who was kneeling down by Tucker, raised an eyebrow at his wife's inquiry.

"Mom told me that Alan should be saying their first words very soon," Hilary smiled. "And Alan's been saying "ma" nonstop! I think his first word is going to be "Mama", without a doubt!"

Huffing, Tyson stood up, crossing his arms across his chest in a proud manner. "You're dreaming. Alan's gonna' say "Dada" before he says anything else!"

Alan tilted his head and blinked his big, chocolate brown eyes, uttering the syllable, "da?"

"Listen to that," Tyson smirked, walking over to Alan and gathering the baby in his arms. "He's getting ready to say it! What a great little guy."

"Ma," Alan babbled, smiling at his father as he was held in the air.

"Yeah, that sounds like "Dada" alright," Hilary rolled her eyes and took the baby away from Tyson. Cooing, she held him close and rubbed their noses together. "My handsome little man is going to say "Mama," I know it. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

"Ma!" Alan giggled.

"Oh please, you heard him say "da" before, and he says it all the time," Tyson shook his head. "He's not going to say "Mama," you silly girl."

Growling, Hilary retorted, "well _you're_ the one who's dreaming if you think Alan's first word will be "Dada"! So you'd better be prepared for when his very first word is "Mama," because it's coming!"

"Da?" Alan squeaked, his eyes shimmering. "Ma?"

Sighing, Tyson eyed the baby and muttered, "Now you're just teasing us, champ."

Alan started to clap his hands together, jabbering, "baba ya! Bababa."

"Hey, did he just say "bottle"?" Tyson's eyes widened. "I think he said "bottle"! That's Alan's first word?"

Tyson was visibly saddened by this, but Hilary was quick to roll her eyes and gently yank at Tyson's ear. "He didn't say "bottle," you dunce. He's saying "baba". Just a bunch of syllables strung together."

Alan suddenly whimpered, bringing Tyson and Hilary's attention back to him. He was squirming in Hilary's arms and looking fairly unhappy, which was a huge change from the joyful little smile that had just been on his face moments ago.

"Aw, what is it, darling?" Hilary asked the baby, stroking his cheek. "Did Mommy and Daddy upset you?"

Alan continued to frown for a few minutes before relaxing, his big eyes blinking as his lips turned back into a very tiny smile. "Ma!"

"Oh, you are _so_ precious!" Hilary hugged the infant. "I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful baby boy."

Tyson screwed his mouth and leaned in closer to Alan, who turned his head to observe his father. Squealing, Alan reached out and patted Tyson's cheek, causing the young father to laugh lovingly.

"Silly boy," Tyson chuckled. His eyes flickering, Tyson moved his head closer to Alan and muttered, "wait a minute…"

Peering down, Hilary cocked an eyebrow and inquired, "Tyson, what in the world are you doing?"

Picking his head up, Tyson stared at Hilary and informed her, "I know why Alan was acting all weird and frowny before."

"Why?" Hilary tilted her head.

Pointing downwards, Tyson stated, "he needs to be changed."

"Huh?" Hilary raised Alan into the air, causing him to giggle and hang his arms down towards her. "What happened, munchkin? You had to go?"

Alan opened his mouth and stuck one of his hands in, still staring down at Hilary with his sparkling eyes.

"I'm not lying to you, Hil," Tyson folded his arms across his chest. "Alan's in need of a fresh diaper."

Hilary lowered Alan and felt the back of his diaper, cringing as she grasped it. Alan must've found this funny, because he giggled as she did so, resting his head against her shoulder.

"Daddy's right," Hilary sighed. "Someone does need to be changed."

"I have to get it every once in awhile," Tyson shrugged.

"No problem," Hilary stroked Alan's hair. "I'll fix you right up, yes I will!"

"Can ya' check on Vanessa while you're up there?" Tyson called as Hilary began up the stairs. "I think she's still playing, but she was pretty upset when I put her to nap a little while ago."

"Of course," Hilary nodded, continuing up the steps.

Turning his head to look at Tucker, Tyson showed his dog a foolish grin as he prompted, "so, Tucker, how about we go outside and begin setting up our little surprise for the kids?"

"Ka!" Tucker nodded enthusiastically, his ears bobbing up and down.

It was nearly the middle of July, and the weather was certainly sweltering. Hilary had been taking the kids into the pool since Vanessa were just 2 months old, holding onto them the whole time, of course. She wanted to get them used to the water and to fall in love with it, just like she was. Hilary would tell them how nice the water was, and gently swim around with them in her grasp.

That had always been in the pool, however, so now that it was the summer, Tyson had the perfect idea that he was sure Hilary would just love.

Stepping out into the backyard, with Tucker still walking besides him, Tyson approached the side of the house and pulled down a big round object with a hollow middle.

"Graww?" Tucker looked at his trainer.

"That's right, a kiddie pool!" Tyson chuckled. "See?" Tyson kneeled down and stuck his hand in the empty pool. "It's nice and shallow! It's really just for Alan to splash around in. He can't really go swimming in it."

"Ka," Tucker's ears twitched as he examined the pool. It was cerulean blue in color, made of plastic and not even capable of being filled with a foot of water. There was even a small slide on the inner side of the pool, with two little steps leading up to it. "groo?"

"The slide?" Tyson asked. "Yeah, I guess they can't really use it by themselves now. But Hilary or I could just slide 'em down it. I'm certainly not letting Alan be in here on his own."

Tucker jumped off into the empty pool, peering over the edge with his bright black eyes. Chuckling, Tyson stroked behind Tucker's ears, causing the dog to mewl in delight.

"That pool is a good size for you, too!" Tyson laughed. "I bet the kids would love to go swimming with you."

Hopping out, Tucker's tail shifted back and forth as he looked up at Tyson, questioning, ''woof-woof!''

"Oh yeah, good question," Tyson closed his eyes. "How am I gonna' fill this thing up? With a hose?"

 **XXX**

Back inside the house, Hilary was just finishing up changing Alan's diaper. She had checked on Vanessa before going to clean up her brother, and found that she was still asleep. That left her free to change Alan in peace. Once he had a new diaper on, Hilary lifted him up in front of her and once again rubbed their noses together, which always made the baby laugh hysterically.

"Who's my handsome little man?" Hilary cooed. "Who is?"

"Ma!" Alan reached out past her face.

"No, _you_ are!" Hilary giggled. "Can you say "Mama," my beautiful darling? Say "Mama," sweetheart!"

"Da!" Alan giggled.

Groaning, Hilary shook her head and responded, "no, Alan, we don't want you to say "Dada" first. We want you to say "Mama" first! It'll be much cuter."

"Ya?" Alan himself looked confused by his mother's statement, even though Hilary was sure he didn't understand it.

Suddenly, a yawn broke through the air, causing Alan's eyes to widen, and Hilary to sigh.

"Well, sounds like your sister is up," Hilary showed her little son a delicate smile. "Let's go pick her up, huh?"

She wandered over to the opposite side of the room, where Vanessa was laying in her bed all sprawled out, in a fashion very similar to Tyson's.

"Morning sweetie!" Hilary teased the preschooler, scattering away the soft toys piled on the little girl. Brushing her lips against the girls's cheek, she murmured, "come on now!''

Instantly, Vanessa opened her eyes, making throaty noises and reaching out towards her brother. The little boy giggled and reached out his own arm, grabbing onto Vanessa's arm and shrieking happily.

''Hey there, cutie!'' Vanessa cooed, instantly jerking up at the sight of her brother becoming pellucid.

"Such friendly kids," Hilary giggled, watching the girl play with her brother. "How wonderful!"

"Hey, Hil!"

The mother of two turned around and found her husband running into the Vanessa's room, a big, hopeful smile set on his handsome face.

"Well, you certainly look happy," Hilary drawled before smirking. "What have you done?"

"Nothing bad," Tyson chuckled. "But I have a surprise for you downstairs! Well…you _and_ the kids."

"I'm scared," Hilary replied honestly.

''Yay! Surprise!'' Vanessa threw her arms up in the air.

"Don't be scared!" Tyson smiled at his daughter's enthusiasm and turned to his wife. "Why would I ever hurt you or the kids? I love you three more than anything! It's a _fun_ surprise. But we have to put the kids in bathing suits first."

"Bathing suits?" Hilary repeated. "I'm still scared."

Without another word, Tyson took Alan from Hilary and brought him over to his dresser. Vanessa whined softly in her mother's arms, seemingly not pleased about being separated from her brother, but quickly scattered away to don into her own swimsuit.

It was easy for Tyson to change Alan. He just reached into the drawer and picked the first bathing suit he pulled out, which happened to be a pair of swim trunks that were gray on top with three thicker stripes of color on the legs: orange, navy blue, and red.

For Vanessa, however, it took a little longer. She adored her clothes, especially bathing suits and, even if it would only be seen by her parents, Hilary was insistent on having the kids look absolutely adorable and well dressed. She strapped on a single piece of swimsuit, a pink gringham print one-piece with hearts sewed on the backside.

As for Hilary after much thought (and a little aggravated probing by Tyson), Hilary selected what she thought was the perfect swimsuit for her mood: a predominantly sky blue one piece with four thick ruffles on the front: sky blue on the top and bottom, with yellow and light green in the middle.

"Great, let's take them outside!" Tyson cheered when Hilary was finally done dressing .

The young parents carried their children into the backyard, led of course by Tyson. Hilary was still concerned; she knew Tyson always meant well, but sometimes his efforts were a little less than half baked. As soon as she stepped into the backyard, however, Hilary's fears were quelled, and instead a huge grin broke out on her beautiful face.

"Oh, Tyson, you bought a kiddie pool?" Hilary beamed at her husband.

"Sure did!" Tyson nodded. "I know you usually take Vanessa to the YMCA with you, but its summer now, so I figured it would be fun for them to go swimming outside! Plus, in here, you don't have to go in and hold onto them. The water isn't deep at all. They can just sit in there and splash around!"

Hilary looked completely overjoyed, which was exactly the reaction that Tyson had been hoping for. He _could_ do things right every once in awhile, after all.

"Ma!" Alan squealed, reaching a little hand out towards the pool.

"Yes, Daddy bought that for you and your sister to play in!" Hilary giggled. "Should we go try it out?"

"Ma…" Alan babbled.

Hilary skirted over to the pool and kneeled down, sticking Alan into the water. The boy just sat there for a few moments, confused as to what he was supposed to do.

"Here, Alan," Hilary patted the water, causing it to splash up. "Hit the water! Can you splash around, like Mommy?"

Alan smacked the water just once, causing it to splatter. Hilary gasped, and Alan let out a delightful, shrieking laugh, clearly amused by what he had done.

"Ba! Ba! Ba!" Alan yammered as he smashed his hands against the surface of the water, creating a torrent of water around him.

"Good boy!" Hilary laughed. "Isn't that fun?"

Alan looked up and reached his hand out towards Hilary, opening and closing his fingers. "Hee…"

"It's funny, isn't it?" Hilary giggled, grabbing Alan's hand and holding onto it.

But Vanessa had a whole different meaning to the word 'funny'(on account of being Tyson's daughter too). The little girl shrieked before leaping into the pool, oblivious to Hilary's remonstrance, creating splashes everywhere off which some splashed right over the little baby present in the pool with her. Glad that Hilary held onto the little boy, or he would have been bounced right away.

Everybody expected the boy to throw a fit and bawl out but instead~

"Hee!" Alan looked at Vanessa, his eyes shining. Vanessa sighed, glad that she was off the hook.

"Hee!" Alan splashed the water again. Vanessa shrieked and began to giggle, joining Alan in his actions.

"Aw, look at that!" Hilary giggled. "They're splashing together! That's so precious."

"Hee! Hee!" Alan squealed.

"That seems to be Alan's new favorite thing to say," Tyson chuckled. "He's been saying "hee" over and over again!"

"Woof!"

Tyson looked over at Tucker, who was now standing on his back legs with his ears twitching.

"What's up, Tucker?" Tyson asked.

"grroo…" The dog scampered towards the front of the house, not even responding to Tyson's inquiry.

"Uh…okay…" Tyson blinked.

"Tucker probably senses something, you know he's like a little guard," Hilary assured her husband with a small giggle. "I'm sure he'll be back in a minute!"

"Gah…"

Hilary turned her attention back to the pool, where Alan had turned around and was now crawling towards the tiny slide that was built into the side of the pool.

"Oh, how cute, there's even a little slide in there!" Hilary beamed at Tyson. "I didn't notice that before."

"Ma!" Alan made his way over to the slide, sitting on his knees as he patted his hands against the slide. Vanessa seemed to have got the message as she approached Alan, where his back was turned against her.

Hilary's face lit up as soon as she'd heard Alan utter that simple syllable. She felt better every time he said it.

"Do you want to go down the slide, baby brother?" Vanessa crawled over to the other side of the pool. Alan looked up at her and smiled, instantly melting the elder sister's heart. Leaning over, Vanessa gathered the baby in her arms and carried the child over to the slide, sitting him atop herself and gently sliding him down along with her, holding onto the baby's sides the entire time. "Whee!"

Alan giggled wildly as Vanessa slid him down, clearly enjoying the ride. When they reached the bottom, landing back in the water, the laughs continued and Alan once again looked up at his mother, babbling a simple, "ma!"

"Do you want to go again?" Hilary's eyes were bright.

"Ma!"

"Okay, sweetie, let's go again!" Hilary pulled Alan out of the water and once again placed her at the top of the slide.

"Woof!"

Tyson, who had been gently splashing Vanessa, looked over his shoulder and found Tucker darting back to him, a smile on his furry face.

"Hey there, buddy," Tyson smirked. "Everything alright out there?"

"Hello there, Tyson!"

The blunette's head shot up, finding his mother-in-law to be walking into the backyard beaming at him.

Shaking off his surprise, Tyson grinned at her and greeted, "hi, Mom!"

"Hee…" Alan cooed.

''Grandma, look! Daddy got us a kiddie pool!'' Vanessa declared, the obvious.

"It's a very nice pool, my dear" Kathy gasped, covering her heart with her hand. "What little darlings!"

"Hi, Mom!" Hilary welcomed, bringing Alan down the slide and back into the water. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, I had something to do in the city, so I figured I would drop by and pay you all a visit!" Kathy giggled. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Hilary shook her head. Looking down, she cooed to Alan, "Look, champ, it's Grammy! She came to visit you!"

Kathy kneeled down next to her daughter, stroking the baby's hair and murmuring, "well, hello there little sweetheart!"

"Hi!" Alan chirped.

And then, silence set in amongst everyone in the backyard. Tyson and Hilary both stared at one another with wide eyes, while Kathy kept her gaze transfixed on the baby boy in front of her.

Unaffected by the adults' shock, Alan giggled and held his arm out, trying to touch Hilary with his fingers. "Hi!"

"Tyson…" Hilary finally broke the silence, turning her focus onto Tyson, "was that…Alan's first word?"

"Yeah…it was…" Tyson blinked. He was trying to hide the fact that tears were filling his eyes. Not tears of sadness, mind you. Alan's first word not being "Dada" didn't hurt Tyson in the way he thought it would. Not at all. Instead, Tyson's eyes were swelling with tears of happiness. His little son, who was just a tiny thing, half of him and half of Hilary created by their love, and he had just said his _first_ word. He was beginning to _talk._ "Alan…"

"Hi!" Alan repeated, laughing after he said it. He was clearly having fun saying this strange new word over and over again.

Hilary herself was experiencing the same reaction that Tyson had. Her joy was unspeakable; she had never felt so proud in all of her life. Her baby boy had just talked, and it was more beautiful than Hilary could have ever imagined.

"Oh, Alan!" Hilary squeezed the boy into her arms, not caring that her shirt was getting soaked as she wild kissed the top of his head. "My little boy, so smart and wonderful! Your first word…it's so perfect!"

"Hi?" Alan squeaked.

"Yes, hi, baby," Hilary sniffled, rubbing her eyes with her hand. "You can say "hi"! That's so good…"

"Ma…" Alan turned around and began to crawl around the pool, occasionally lifting his hands out to hit the water and make a splash.

"He's completely unaffected," Tyson chuckled gathering Vanessa into his arms, still trying to make it appear that he hadn't been on the verge of tears.

"Alan doesn't understand what it means," Hilary smiled shakily at her husband, jubilation still rushing through her veins. "But we do."

* * *

 **And that was cute! Tomorrow Vanessa's first word!**

 **There's something I want to run past you guys. I'm desperately trying to come up with a plot of my own as I see most of you don't enjoy reading one-shots. So I'll jam up something definitely.**


	30. Chapter 30: Vanessa's First Word

The Beyblade World Champion. Married to Hilary, has a daughter with her. Living in a gorgeous house in Tokyo that was more often than not covered in toys.

For some _crazy_ reason, Tyson hadn't quite imagined his life to be like this by the time he was 27 years old.

Of course, he wasn't complaining about it.

He _would,_ however, complain freely about having to clean up his daughter's messes. Tyson didn't understand why _he_ had to be in charge of tidying up the house up after Hilary was out shopping with her friends. All of that on top of watching after Vanessa.

"Can you believe this?" Tyson asked the baby girl in his arms. "I'm supposed to be the head of this house, and instead I'm the one doing everyone _else's_ work."

Vanessa smiled and reached up with her little hand, rubbing a finger against the tip of Tyson's nose.

Sighing, Tyson returned the infant's grin and concluded, "well, I guess it's just you me, little pumpkin. That's fine by me, I like hanging out with you. You're a pretty cool kid."

"Da!" Vanessa shrieked, her light pink cheeks glowing as her smile widened.

Tyson breathed out and admired his daughter's beauty. She may have been just a baby, but she was absolutely _gorgeous._ And Tyson definitely wasn't saying that just because it was _his_ baby. She really was stunning; like a living doll.

Not only was Vanessa beautiful, but she was always happy. Sure, there were times when she could get a little cranky, but for the most part, Vanessa was all giggles and smiles. Not to mention, now that she was older, Vanessa was always babbling and making plenty of joyful noise.

Making his way down the stairs, Tyson eventually entered the living room, sighing as soon as his eyes caught sight of the sea of toys that had covered the floor.

"Man," Tyson groaned. He knew he wouldn't be able to get anything cleaned up if he kept Vanessa in his arms, as much as he loved carrying the baby around. Sighing for what already felt like the millionth time that morning, Tyson walked over to the pink and tan playpen sitting in the corner of the room and placed Vanessa inside, kissing her on the head before walking away.

There were plenty of toys for Vanessa to play with in the enclosure, but she didn't much feel like doing that. Instead, she chose to pull herself up and stand with her little hands gripping the side of the playpen, watching her father with a charming little smile on her face as he cleaned up her mess.

As Tyson was gathering several poke dolls in his arms, he turned around for a split second and noticed this, grimacing slightly at Vanessa's happy, angelic little face watching him from the playard.

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" Tyson deadpanned.

"Geeee," Vanessa slurred, tilting her head and lowering it until her cheek was resting against the top of the enclosure's front.

"Aww, you're way too cute to be mad at!" Tyson let out a heartwarming laugh. He continued picking up the toys, well aware that Vanessa's eyes were following him around the room. After gathering a stuffed capuchin into his hands, Tyson decided to have a little fun with his chore. Smirking, he walked over to Vanessa and held the toy in front of her, causing the baby's smile to turn into a little 'O' shape.

"Ma?" Vanessa asked, pointing at the doll.

"Yeah, close," Tyson smiled at the baby. "This is a capuchin."

"Ma…" Vanessa grabbed the toy by its face and tried to pull it out of Tyson's hands.

"Don't be rough!" Tyson tapped his daughter's hands. She released the toy and stared up at her father with wide, curious eyes. "Be gentle."

"Da?" Vanessa blinked.

"Pet," Tyson stroked the toy's head. "Look, Daddy is being _gentle_ with the toy. I'm being _nice._ Can you be _nice_ to the toy, too?"

Vanessa lowered her eyes from Tyson onto the doll, and then back up to Tyson. Once again reaching out towards it, Vanessa stroked the stuffed doll's face with her fingers, glancing at the toy as she stroked it.

"Good girl!" Tyson beamed. He couldn't believe how smart his baby daughter was. "That's exactly it! We treat things nicely."

Vanessa turned her eyes back up to Tyson and let out a delightful, squeaky laughter that brought a joyful smile to Tyson's face. He just loved his little girl so very much.

"Da…" Vanessa let go of the toy and instead reached out for her father.

"Yeah, I'm Dada," Tyson held Vanessa's hand. "Are you introducing yourself?"

"Da," Vanessa repeated.

Sighing, Tyson gently played with Vanessa's fingers and rambled on, "it would be so amazing if your first word was "Dada. I would really love it if you did. You love me lots, don't you, pumpkin?"

"Da," Vanessa cooed.

"Yeah, of course you love me," Tyson smiled sweetly. "And I love you, too!"

Vanessa let go of Tyson's hand and instead touched his face, moving her hand towards his mouth and pulling at his lips with her little fingers. Tyson just let her play for a little bit, grinning as well as he could with her pulling at his mouth. She giggled and squealed, greatly amused by her father's face.

"Okay, okay," Tyson chuckled, prying Vanessa's fingers away from his mouth. "Daddy's gotta' finish cleaning up your big mess. But don't worry, we'll play more after!"

"Da?" Vanessa squeaked, watching after her father as he walked away.

Sighing, Tyson continued to gather up toys, throwing them in the nearby basket where they all belonged. At least when he got done with this lame chore that shouldn't have even been his he could play with Vanessa. He wondered what they would do. She was happy no matter what you did with her.

 _Maybe I'll teach her more with all of her poke dolls,_ Tyson thought, _she likes that. Or I could show her those little baby movies she likes so much. With all of the colors and the little characters that sing songs about-_

"Dada!"

Tyson snapped out of his thoughts and dropped one of toy cars on the floor. Slowly turning his head, Tyson stared at Vanessa with wide and shocked eyes, his heart pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears.

 _Did I just hear what I_ think _I just heard?_ Tyson thought in disbelief.

He kept staring at the baby, waiting to see if she would do it again. Smiling, Vanessa let out a soft giggle and continued to stare at Tyson, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Vanessa?" Tyson asked, as if the baby would respond.

But, she did.

"Dada!" Vanessa squeaked.

Tyson raced over to the playpen, beaming at his child. His smile was probably the widest it had ever been, his eyes filling up with the happiest tears Tyson had never known.

"Oh, Vanessa!" Tyson lifted the baby into his arms and gave her a big hug. "I'm so, so proud of you, little pumpkin! You said your first word! And it was "Dada"! One of you finally said it as your first word! I'm so happy!"

"Dada!" Vanessa shrieked.

Tyson snuggled the baby and kissed her over and over atop her head. He was just so happy, he could hardly believe it!

"Oh, just wait until Mama hears your first word!" Tyson cooed to Vanessa. "I'm finally gonna' get a victory over her! I just knew I was your favorite, Vanny."

"Why are you her favorite?"

Tyson looked up and grinned mischievously. Hilary had just walked through the door, her arms folded across her chest as she eyed her husband and daughter.

"Hi, honey," Tyson greeted her in a sickeningly sweet voice. "How was the shopping? Did you loot me out?"

"No," Hilary shrugged, "but it's alright. They all sucked." Looking down at Vanessa, Hilary let out a small gasp and cooed, "and how is my beautiful little baby girl?"

"Baby Vanessa is just perfect," Tyson beamed at the infant, who was now reaching out for her mother. "She's been watching me clean up her toys from her playpen, giggling and smiling the whole time."

"Yeah, you're a happy little angel!" Hilary held her hand out for the baby to grab. "My precious little sprinkle."

"Oh, and there is a little something else that our baby girl did," Tyson smirked.

Standing up slightly, Hilary stared Tyson in the eyes and asked, "In her diaper?"

"Huh? No," Tyson raised an eyebrow.

"Then what did she do?" Hilary inquired.

Beaming, Tyson kissed the top of Vanessa's head before informing his wife, "she said her first word."

Hilary's jaw dropped before a frown graced her delicate pink lips. "And I missed it?"

"Don't be sad, beautiful," Tyson chuckled. "Vanessa will just say it for you now!"

Raising an eyebrow, Hilary responded, "Tyson, she's a 7 month old baby. She's not going to speak just because you told her to."

"Maybe not, but she's a good little girl," Tyson held the infant out towards Hilary. "Come on, Vanny, tell Mama what your first word was!"

Vanessa stared at her mother with wide, auburn eyes. Hilary giggled airily and rubbed Vanessa's cheek, murmuring, "its okay, baby. You can tell me whenever you're comfortable with it! You don't have to say it just because Daddy wants you to."

"Hey, that's not why!" Tyson pouted.

"Vanessa doesn't like to be pushed," Hilary smirked.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Tyson asked seriously.

"What do you mean?" Hilary blinked.

"She wasn't born naturally," Tyson explained. "They had to cut her out."

Hilary made a _really?_ face at Tyson, which caused him to chuckle.

"You're not funny, Tyson," Hilary sighed, although the corners of her lips were beginning to tug upwards.

"Yeah, you think I'm funny," Tyson showed off his lopsided smile. "Don't lie to me."

"Whatever," Hilary huffed, playfully rolling her eyes.

Vanessa let out a strange little noise, one that wasn't quite a giggle but certainly not a whimper. She was still holding her hand out towards Hilary, and her brow was slightly furrowed.

"What's up, baby girl?" Hilary frowned. "Is something bothering you?"

Suddenly, Vanessa smiled and let out a sweet little giggle that warmed Hilary's heart.

"What a cutie!" Hilary beamed.

"Mama!" Vanessa chirped.

Hilary's happy expression snapped into one of complete shock. Tyson was just as shocked, but he also couldn't help but to feel a little…betrayed.

"Oh…my gosh…" Hilary breathed.

"Mama," Vanessa repeated, smiling at Hilary.

Hilary grinned and snatched Vanessa out of Tyson's grasp, holding her close and showering her with tons of adoring kisses. "I can't believe it! My beautiful baby's first word was "Mama"! Tyson, why didn't you just tell me that?"

His eyes as wide as could be, Tyson stammered, "b…because that wasn't her first word! El…Vanessa's first word was "Dada"! She said it before!"

Eyeing Tyson over the baby's head, Hilary rolled her eyes and gently chided, "now, Tyson, don't get jealous! I know you're upset that she didn't say "Dada" first, but that doesn't mean you have to make things up."

"I'm not making it up!" Tyson cried. "She said "Dada" before you ever came in here! And she said it, like…5 times!"

"Mama," Vanessa spoke from Hilary's arms.

Smiling, Hilary hummed, "that doesn't sound like "Dada" to me."

Tyson grabbed at his hair and nearly yanked it out. He couldn't believe this! Vanessa's first word _had_ been "Dada"! He'd heard it himself, and he wasn't crazy! All of a sudden, Vanessa had decided to learn her _second_ word, and now Hilary thought it was her first. _Of freaking course._

"Oh, this is just incredible!" Hilary kissed Vanessa's head. "I have to call my parents and show them that their baby granddaughter's first word was me! They'll be so happy!"

"But…Vanessa's first word _was_ "Dada"!" Tyson continued to argue. "She's saying "Mama" because that's her _second_ word!"

"Tyson, honey, I told you, there's no need to get so worked up over it," Hilary smiled reassuringly at her husband. "In due time, Vanessa will say "Dada." I promise."

"I…but I…she can say "Dada" already!" Tyson wailed. "Just wait for it. She'll say it!"

Hilary glanced down at Vanessa and tilted her head. Sensing her mother's eyes on her, Vanessa looked up with her own orbs and let out an adorable little giggle. "Mama?"

"Oh, you're just the cutest thing!" Hilary held her daughter up in the air before lowering her to kiss her on the nose. "I have to fix myself up before I call my parents. Watch Vanny for me, won't you?"

Tyson furrowed his brow and didn't respond. Giggling, Hilary simply handed the baby over to Tyson, smiling as the infant squealed in delight. With that, the brunette turned on a heel and darted up the stairs, her hair flying out behind her.

Once Hilary was out of earshot, Tyson sighed noisily and glanced down at his daughter. "Vanny, what in the world was that?"

"Dada?" Vanessa tilted her head.

Gasping, Tyson looked up the stairs and yelled, "HILARY!"

Within seconds, the mother came running down the steps, her face looking clearly panicked. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Vanessa said it again!" Tyson's eyes were wide. "She said "Dada"! I swear!"

Hilary glanced down at Vanessa, who was wiggling around in Tyson's arms. "Tyson, she's not saying anything."

"Just wait, she'll say it," Tyson's voice was determined.

Vanessa looked off to the side, into the living room, her little hands rising up into the air while she furled and unfurled her tiny fingers. "Mama…"

"What?" Tyson was frantic. "N…no, Vanny!"

"That just gets more and more adorable every time she says it!" Hilary squealed before skipping back up the stairs.

Tyson groaned and smacked his face with the palm of his hand.

Giggling, Vanessa began to clap her hands together, happily crying out, "Dada! Dada!"

"You've gotta' be kidding me," Tyson slumped forward.

Cooing, Vanessa reached up with her hand and brushed her fingers against the bottom of Tyson's jaw. "Dada!"

Tyson moaned and complained, "I should've recorded you saying it…"

"Dada."


	31. Chapter 31: A Pee-Pee Problem

"M…Mommy…"

Hilary slowly opened her eyes, yawning as she stretched out her arms. She was only 24 years old, and to be woken up by her own child was a little crazy for her to face. She never would've thought that, at the age of 24, she would have not one, but TWO kids to care for. Really, though, she wouldn't have it any other way. Rolling over onto her side, Hilary caught sight of her little boy, who looked fairly upset.

"Alan, honey, what's wrong?" Hilary frowned.

"I…I had an accident, Mommy," Alan lowered his head in clear shame.

"What?" Hilary sat up fully and drew her shoulders back. "Where? In your bed?"

Alan nodded and sniffled. Right away, Hilary could feel her heart breaking.

"Oh, sweetie, don't cry!" Hilary climbed out of bed and lifted the little boy into her arms. "It's okay; you just couldn't get up fast enough. It's alright, Mommy isn't mad. Let's go change your sheets, hmm?"

Alan nodded and buried his face in the crook between his mother's neck and shoulder. Hilary kissed him repeatedly and rubbed his back as she walked into his room, turning on the lights so she could properly see her son's bed. There was a fairly gracious wet spot on the sheets, causing Hilary to sigh. It had taken awhile to potty train him, and Alan had been much more of a challenge. Boys usually were, or so Hilary had read and heard. Alan still had difficulty aiming, but he'd never had a nighttime accident before.

"Mommy is going to fix it," Hilary assured her upset son. "Can I put you down, little guy?"

Alan sniffled but nodded. Hilary gave him another kiss before putting the child back down on the floor. She quickly pulled the sheets off his bed and left them on the floor. She would go and put them in the wash later, but first she needed to get new sheets on Alan's bed and put the little boy back to sleep. Going into his closet, Hilary got a fresh set of red and blue striped sheets and pulled them onto Alan's bed.

"There," Hilary placed her hands on her hips and turned to look at her son, "isn't that all better?"

Alan sniveled yet again and whined quietly.

"Are you still upset, baby?" Hilary frowned.

"I'm still wet…" Alan whimpered before bursting back into tears.

Hilary was confused by Alan's statement until she looked down at his pajama pants and saw the wet spot.

"Oooh," Hilary murmured.

Alan began to sob more loudly, and Hilary just felt so bad for the poor child.

"Come on, honey, it's okay! Mommy is going to fix you up, alright? Not a problem, let's go into the bathroom. I'll bring you new jammies, and we'll get you all cleaned up. Don't cry, baby boy."

Alan nodded, although tears were still running down his face. He wouldn't leave the room without Hilary, so she hurried in picking out a new pair of pajamas and bringing the young boy into the bathroom to wash up.

As she cleaned up the toddler and continued to comfort him, Hilary wondered if she should have Alan wear a pull up. Suggesting such a thing would probably just upset the boy even further, however, and Hilary just assumed this was an isolated incident. It certainly wasn't unheard of for a young, newly potty trained child to wet the bed on occasion. It had never happened before, and Alan hadn't been out of pull ups for long, so Hilary wasn't too concerned.

Once Alan was clean and dressed in dry pajamas, he was beginning to fall asleep in his mother's arms. Just grateful that her son was now calm, Hilary carried him back into his room and tucked the half asleep young boy into bed, kissing him and taking the damp sheets before turning off the lights and leaving the room.

 **XXX**

"Hil, did you get out of bed last night?"

Hilary looked at her curious husband with a sad expression. "Yeah, Alan had a little problem."

"A nightmare?" Tyson blinked.

"No."

"Did he not feel well?" Tyson tried again.

"That wasn't it either," Hilary shook her head.

"Then what happened?" Tyson folded his arms.

"He wet the bed," Hilary lowered her voice to a whisper as she sat down across from Tyson.

"An accident?" Tyson raised his eyebrows. "That's never happened before!"

"I know, I don't understand," Hilary sighed.

"I thought we potty trained him," Tyson frowned.

"We did, but I guess he couldn't get up fast enough to use the bathroom," Hilary shrugged.

"Guess you're right," Tyson twisted his mouth in thought before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Tyson and Hilary looked towards the doorframe and found Alan running into the kitchen, a big smile gracing his cute face.

"Good morning, baby boy!" Hilary beamed. "How are you?"

"Good," Alan scurried over to Tyson and looked up at the man. Chuckling, Tyson lifted his son into his lap and hugged the child close to him. Hilary, meanwhile, was just relieved that Alan didn't seem to be dwelling on the previous night.

"You are becoming such a big boy!" Tyson tapped the child's head. "How big do you think you're gonna' be, little guy?"

"As big as you, Daddy!" Alan turned and grinned at his father.

"That's my man!" Tyson laughed as he raised the toddler into the air.

Both Tyson and Hilary knew they'd have to keep an eye on Alan throughout the day to make sure he didn't have another accident. He never did, though, and even went through the night without having another one. The young parents came to realize they had nothing to be concerned about.

 **XXX**

Or so they thought.

Two nights later, Hilary was again awoken by a crying Alan at her bedside.

"Baby?" Hilary asked, reaching down with her hand to touch the boy.

"I…I had a accsy…"

"You had another accident?" Hilary frowned. Alan nodded and kept crying. Sighing, Hilary got out of bed and cuddled the boy until he calmed down. "Don't cry, baby, it's okay," Hilary whispered. "It's just an accident. We'll just change your sheets again. It's alright, sweetie."

Hilary repeated the actions of two night prior; replacing the wet sheets and pajamas after cleaning up Alan. Afterwards, he slept through the night once again, and woke up happy. Again, Hilary didn't think too much of it. Little kids were bound to have accidents, that was just a fact.

But then it happened again the very next night. And the night after. And then the night after that.

Four consecutive nights of bed wetting.

"Tyson, what are we going to do?" Hilary fretted the morning after the latest incident.

"I don't know, maybe he's just not quick to get up, like you said," Tyson suggested.

"But five nights out of seven?" Hilary raised an eyebrow. "You think he'd have learned by now."

"Just too tired?" Tyson shrugged.

"I really feel like we should put him back in pull ups for the night," Hilary shook her head.

"Alan won't go for that," Tyson immediately rejected the idea. "He knows that big boys don't wear pull ups to bed."

"But I don't know what else to do!" Hilary cried. "I can't keep getting up in the middle of the night to change his sheets and clean him up. I need sleep, Tyson! And so does he. It's bad that Alan gets woken up almost every night by these accidents. He's a little boy, and he needs his sleep."

"I'm not sure," Tyson sighed as he massaged his temples, clearly frustrated with the situation himself.

"Maybe we should take him to the doctor," Hilary murmured.

Tyson's head shot up. "Why would he need to go to the doctor?!"

"Because I think this is a problem," Hilary blinked.

"He doesn't have a problem," Tyson huffed.

"Okay, where did this sudden attitude come from?!" Hilary folded her arms.

"Sorry," Tyson rubbed his face with his hand, "I just…it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Something is up with you," Hilary raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing is up with me," Tyson shook his head.

"Yes there is," Hilary rolled her eyes. "Spit it out."

"It's just…" Tyson squinted his eyes, recalling the past, "when I was little, I had a habit of wetting the bed a lot. Hiro thought there was a problem with me, but I knew there wasn't. Honestly, I wasn't really embarrassed about wetting the bed. I didn't care because I was too lazy to get up."

"So…you basically wet the bed on purpose?" Hilary seemed disturbed by this.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to tell Grampsthat," Tyson sighed. "Anyway, he thinks I'm dying or something, and drags me to the doctor. I'm not going to go into detail about what went down that day, but I _will_ tell you it was a thousand times more embarrassing than me peeing in the bed."

"Alan DOES get embarrassed by his accidents, though," Hilary stressed. "He doesn't wet the bed on purpose…" Hilary made a bit of a disgusted face.

"Okay, I didn't _always_ do it on purpose," Tyson rectified. "Most of the time, it really was an accident. I wasn't embarrassed, though."

"Yes, but Alan isn't _you!_ " Hilary groaned.

"He's fine, Hil," Tyson smirked. "Just wait and see."

 **XXX**

Hilary had no idea what the hell Tyson was getting at, because that night, Alan ended up having another accident. And crying over it.

"Not an accident my ass," Hilary muttered as she changed Alan's sheets. "I'm taking this kid to a doctor whether Tyson approves of it or not."

The next night, however, Alan didn't wet the bed. He didn't the night after, either, or the night after that. Soon, Alan had gone the entire week without wetting his bed.

Hilary was confused, to say the least. All of a sudden, her little boy seemed to be cured of his bed wetting issues. He never brought it up, and woke up happy every morning. Really, Hilary knew she should've been relieved, but really, she was just even more concerned.

At the end of his whole week without an accident, a chipper Alan was busy playing with Vanessa in the living room, the two young children using building blocks to create different structures.

"Aww, look how cute our babies are, playing together," Tyson chuckled.

"Yeah, it's sweet," Hilary gave a half hearted smile.

"What's wrong, honey?" Tyson frowned.

"I'm just worried about Alan is all," Hilary sighed. "I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Tyson shook his head. "Look at how happy he is!"

"I know, but…" Hilary trailed off.

"Here, I'll prove to you that everything is fine!" Tyson jumped up.

"How?" Hilary raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sneak up on Alan and give him a tickle," Tyson grinned. "That'll just show you how happy he is!"

Crouching down low, Tyson quietly entered the living room, positioning himself right behind Alan. Reaching his hands out, he gently grabbed the boy's sides and called out, "gotcha, little buddy!"

Alan yelled in surprise and fear when his father grabbed him. Accompanying the yelp was something that no one was expecting:

An accident.

"Uh oh…" Tyson gasped, taking his hands off of Alan. The little boy took notice of the wet patch on his pants, and immediately broke out into tears.

"What happened?!" Hilary hurried into the room.

"Uh…Alan wet himself," Tyson whispered.

"What?!" Hilary gasped and jumped to the ground. Alan looked at her, still crying and still VERY red in the face. Right away, Hilary could tell he was embarrassed.

"Oh, my poor baby," Hilary picked Alan up and rushed him upstairs. "It's okay! Oh, my little sweetheart. Don't be embarrassed! No one is going to make fun of you! My little baby."

Alan continued to wail as he buried his face into Hilary's chest. Sighing, Hilary stroked the small child's hair and kissed the top of his head, bringing him into the bathroom and sitting him up on the counter. When Hilary headed towards the bath to turn the water on, Alan let out a small shriek and reached out towards her.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetie!" Hilary quickly turned the water on before going back to Alan and holding onto his shoulders. "Look, I'm right here. Mommy isn't going to leave you. Please, don't cry, baby boy. I hate it when you cry! I like it when you're happy!"

If anything, this just made Alan cry even harder. Sighing, Hilary hugged the boy once again, rubbing his back in an effort to soothe him.

While Hilary was busy tending to the child, Tyson walked into the bathroom, his eyes switching between his wife and son.

"Is he okay?" Tyson asked Hilary, agony clear in his voice.

"The brunette looked up at her husband and smiled sadly. "Yeah, he's okay. Just pretty upset and embarrassed."

"This is my fault," Tyson groaned, his shoulders slumping. "This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't snuck up on Alan."

"You didn't know that would happen," Hilary shook her head. "And you certainly didn't mean for it to happen."

"I still feel so awful," Tyson rubbed his face.

"I have to check on the bath and see if the water has warmed up," Hilary glanced at Tyson. "Could you take care of Alan for me?"

"Uh…yeah," Tyson's heart sank. He couldn't believe how badly he'd hurt his own son. What if the damage was irreversible? Approaching Alan, Tyson put his hands on either side of the boy on the counter and leaned down to be at nearly eye level with the child.

"Hey there, little guy," Tyson greeted softly. "I'm really, really sorry that I snuck up on you. I didn't know you would get that scared."

Alan just sniffled in response.

"I'm really sorry, champ," Tyson apologized again. "Could you ever forgive me?"

Alan looked up at Tyson with tear filled eyes, nodding slowly as he took in his father's clearly pained expression. Tyson breathed out shakily and showed off a tiny smile before wrapping just one of his strong arms around Alan's little body.

"Thank you, buddy," Tyson kissed the boy's cheek. "Daddy will never, ever do that again."

"Okay, the bath is ready," Hilary returned to the counter and stroked Alan's cheek. "Let me bathe him so he'll be nice and clean."

Tyson nodded and let go of Alan. Hilary turned the boy towards her and began to undress him. Looking over Alan's head, she eyed Tyson and quietly instructed him to, "Call the doctor."

This time, Tyson was not going to argue with her.

 **XXX**

"Mommy, why am I hewe?"

Hilary smiled down at her little son. He was just so cute, she couldn't help it. "Because the doctor is going to look at you," Hilary gently informed her son.

"I'm not sick," Alan blinked.

"No, you're not."

"Am I getting a shot?!" Alan wailed.

"No, baby, there are no shots," Hilary assured the boy. "I promise."

"What's he gonna do?" Alan frowned.

"I'm not sure," Hilary admitted, "but I promise that he's not going to hurt you. Why don't you go play with the toys over there?" Hilary pointed at the corner of the room full of children's toys. "You might get bored just sitting here with me and Daddy."

Alan nodded and jumped off his chair, scurrying towards the toys. Just as Alan left, Tyson returned with a clipboard which he was looking over in a bewildered fashion.

"You have no idea how to fill that out, do you?" Hilary sighed.

"Why does it matter how much he weighed at birth?" Tyson asked. "Shouldn't they know all of this stuff already?"

"Oh, just give it to me," Hilary held her hand out for the forms.

"How am I supposed to know what medicines he's allergic to?" Tyson scratched his head. "I've never even heard of half of these!"

"Tyson, hand it over!" Hilary nearly snapped. "Just let me take care of it."

"Better you than me," Tyson shrugged as he forfeited the clipboard.

"Yeah, well there's a reason I'm the Mommy," Hilary mumbled as she began to fill out the forms.

"Where's Alan?" Tyson questioned.

"He's playing with the toys over in the corner," Hilary didn't look up from the clipboard. "I suppose we could've brought Vanessa with us…"

"It's okay, you know Gramps loves watching her," Tyson chuckled. "Besides, we're going to be discussing Alan's accidents. I don't want to embarrass him again. I still feel guilty about last time, even though he forgave me."

"That's true," Hilary agreed. Sighing, she frowned, "I'm a little worried about what the doctor might find."

"It probably won't be anything serious," Tyson tried to assure his wife.

"I hope you're right," Hilary fretted. She finished filling out the forms and handed them back to the secretary. After another ten minutes of waiting, the pediatrician emerged, calling for Alan.

"Come here, sweetheart," Hilary beckoned to her son as she and Tyson got up. Alan put down the toy cars he'd been busying himself with and ran over to his mother. Giggling, Hilary picked him up and held him against her hip, the doctor smiling at the young boy.

"Hello there, Alan," the slightly older man greeted warmly. "How are you?"

"Good," Alan replied softly before burying his face into the side of Hilary's neck.

"Strange, he's not usually shy," the doctor gave Alan a look over.

"I know," Hilary frowned. "He's been acting so odd ever since these accidents began."

"Well, why don't we go into the examination room and talk about it?" The doctor suggested.

"That sounds good, thank you, Dr. Neal," Hilary nodded.

The young family followed the doctor into one of the examination rooms. Hilary placed Alan on the padded examination table against the wall and went to sit down in a chair next to Tyson, but was stopped by Alan, who was holding onto her wrist.

"What is it, baby boy?" Hilary frowned.

"Stay," Alan whimpered quietly.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetie!" Hilary smiled encouragingly. "I'm just going to sit down next to Daddy."

"No," Alan shook his head. "Up hewe."

"What?" Hilary raised an eyebrow.

"Sit wif me," Alan pleaded.

"Oh, okay," Hilary took a seat next to Alan.

"Now, what seems to be the problem with little Alan?" Dr. Neal smiled at the small boy.

"He's been having a lot of accidents," Hilary explained. "They mostly happen at night, so I kind of thought maybe it wasn't such a big deal since he's so newly potty trained. But then yesterday, Tyson was trying to be playful by sneaking up on Alan and tickling him. When he did that, Alan ended up wetting himself."

"I see…constant accidents," Dr. Neal scribbled it down on his chart.

"I still feel bad about that," Tyson sighed.

"I wouldn't," Dr. Neal reassured the Champion. "You couldn't have known. This is likely something that Alan has no control over." Turning back to the little boy, Dr. Neal cautiously asked, "Alan, does it upset you when you have these accidents?"

Alan nodded slowly.

"Okay. Do you know when you're about to have one?"

Alan shook his head.

"What happens when you have an accident at night? Do you know that you have to go and you just don't get up?"

Again, Alan shook his head.

"So, when you wake up, it's already happened?"

Alan nodded.

"I think the accidents wake him up," Hilary helped. "He doesn't sleep through them. At night, he'll come crying to me after it happens."

"This does sound to be completely out of his control," Dr. Neal mused. "I'm going to give him an ultrasound to confirm my diagnosis."

"Mommy!" Alan gasped, looking up at Hilary with frightened eyes.

"No, baby, an ultrasound isn't going to hurt you," Hilary shook her head.

Whimpering, Alan crawled onto Hilary's lap. She sighed and hugged the boy, trying to comfort him.

"We can head over to the tech room now," Dr. Neal gathered Alan's chart. "Just follow me."

Tyson and Hilary trailed behind the doctor, while Alan continued to softly whine in Hilary's arms.

"I promise this won't hurt, Alan!" Hilary snuggled the boy. "Don't you believe your Mommy?"

Alan whimpered again.

"Come on, Alan, these are cool!" Tyson gently patted his son's head. "You know, this is how Mommy and I used to see you when you were in her tummy!"

Alan glanced up at his father. "Weally?"

"Yeah! They don't hurt at all."

Once in the room, Hilary once again put Alan down on an examination table, but this time placed him lying down on his back.

"I can't sit with you this time, little buddy," Hilary stroked Alan's hair, "but I'll hold your hand, okay?"

Alan nodded before turning his attention onto the doctor and asking, "Why do I have this?"

"Just so I can know exactly what's going on inside of you," Dr. Neal smiled comfortingly at Alan.

"I don't have a baby in my tummy," Alan commented very seriously.

"Alan!" Hilary shrieked, covering her face with her free hand.

"What do you mean there, little guy?" Dr. Neal chuckled.

"Uh…that's my fault," Tyson blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I told Alan that we used ultrasounds to see him and Vanessa before they were born…I guess he thinks you're looking for a baby."

"Oh, no no, silly boy!" Dr. Neal laughed as he ruffled Alan's hair. "I'm not looking for a baby in there. You can use this little machine for a lot more than just looking at babies while they're in their mommies' bellies, you know."

"What awe you lookin' for?" Alan blinked.

"I need to take a look at your insides," Dr. Neal pulled Alan's shirt up. "You know, your organs!"

"Like my heawt?" Alan inquired.

"Yes, that is one of your organs, but not what I'm looking for," Dr. Neal smiled. "I'm going to examine your kidneys and your bladder!"

"Mommy, what awe those?" Alan scrunched his nose up.

"You don't have to worry about it, sweetie," Hilary giggled very softly. "They're just some of your insides!"

"Now, Alan, I'm going to put this gel on your tummy," Dr. Neal showed Alan the tube. "It might be a little cold, but it won't hurt."

Alan nodded. The doctor squeezed some gel onto Alan's small midsection, and right away he shrieked and began to squirm.

"M…Mommy!" Alan squealed, frantically twisting his body as if trying to escape.

"Shh, it's okay," Hilary squeezed Alan's hand. "Relax, baby, I know it's very cold, I know. But it doesn't hurt, right?"

Alan shook his head, but was still left squirming.

"You're going crazy there, little man," Tyson placed his hand atop Alan's head. "Chill out a little, champ!"

Alan finally managed to calm down. The doctor rubbed the gel in and then took the wand, turning on the screen and running it across Alan's stomach.

"I'm going to check on your kidneys first," Dr. Neal informed the young parents, who instantly became concerned.

"That's my insides?" Alan pointed at the black and white shapes on the screen.

"Yes, baby," Hilary answered numbly. She was scared. A dysfunctioning kidney was a very serious condition…she was afraid of Alan having to go through all of the awful treatments that came with that. Tyson saw that Hilary was trembling slightly, so he hugged her against his side and gently squeezed her hip, hoping to comfort his wife.

"His kidneys are just fine," Dr. Neal announced before moving the wand.

"Thanks God," Hilary sighed, subconsciously squeezing Alan's hand more tightly.

"Mommy?" Alan piped up.

"Yes, baby?" Hilary looked down at the boy.

"Why awe you happy?"

"Because your kidneys are very important," Hilary smiled shakily. "We don't want there to be anything wrong with those."

"That's good," Alan commented with a sweet smile.

"Yes," Hilary agreed, "it is."

"I'm taking a look at his bladder now," Dr. Neal murmured, "and it seems to be…just as I thought."

"What?" Hilary's heart began to race. "What is it?"

"Do you see his bladder right here?" Dr. Neal pointed at a round, almost oval shape on the screen. Both Tyson and Hilary leaned in to look at the image and nod.

"It's underdeveloped," Dr. Neal concluded. "Weak and too small for a child Alan's age."

"Is that serious?" Tyson turned white.

"No, not at all," Dr. Neal shook his head. "Underdeveloped bladders are extremely common in young children, even more so when they're a twin. The problem just isn't solved typically until the child is around this age, since the diapers and pull ups come off and the accidents that come with a deformed bladder begin."

"So, he was born with this?" Hilary frowned.

"Yes."

"Will he ever get better?" Hilary sighed.

"Oh yes. Most certainly," Dr. Neal nodded as he turned the screen off and began to clean Alan up. "Over time, his bladder will strengthen and reshape itself. This isn't anything that has to be closely monitored. I might give him a follow up in a few months, but you have nothing to be worried about. Let's head into my office. I'll give you some tips on managing this."

Alan reached up towards Hilary with both arms, indicating that he wanted to be picked up. Hilary bent over and lifted Alan, holding him close as she and Tyson followed the doctor out of the room.

"Am I okay, Mommy?" Alan glanced up at Hilary with big brown eyes.

"Yes, sweetie, you'll be okay," Hilary replied quietly as she rested her head atop Alan's.

Tyson noticed that Hilary was a little shaken by the diagnosis. Reaching out, he stroked Hilary's back, causing her to look up at him.

"You okay?" Tyson kindly asked his young wife.

"I don't know," Hilary answered honestly, once again cuddling Alan.

"Hilary, this isn't your fault," Tyson frowned, knowing exactly what was going through his wife's head.

"I feel like it is," Hilary furrowed her brow. "It's a development problem. He grew inside of me."

"You couldn't know how he was developing in there," Tyson shook his head. "This is such a minor, common problem. He grew so big and strong in your belly that something this small just went unnoticed. And that's okay. You heard the doctor. Alan will be fine."

"I still feel so bad," Hilary whimpered. Alan felt his mother's breathing become more erratic, and it worried him. He wrapped his little arms around Hilary's neck and buried his face into her chest, right near her heart. Hilary looked down and saw her young son holding onto her and cuddling.

"Alan can tell you're freaking out," Tyson observed. "He's trying to comfort you."

"Oh, my sweet boy," Hilary cooed, rubbing her cheek against the top of Alan's soft hair. "I'm so lucky to have such a sweet baby."

The parents entered the doctor's office, where he was sitting behind his desk looking through some files.

"Take a seat, you two," Dr. Neal motioned towards the two chairs in front of his desk, which Tyson and Hilary silently took. "So, like I said, nothing serious. His bladder will grow. But for now, there are some preventative steps you can take to control the accidents."

"Like what?" Hilary finally piped up.

"Limit any liquids before bed," Dr. Neal began. "An hour before you put him down, stop giving him anything to drink."

"Okay," Hilary nodded.

"Try to make sure he doesn't get too excited or startled," Dr. Neal continued. "That could also trigger an accident."

Hilary glanced at Tyson, who blushed under her gaze. She really was beginning to feel better. Everything would be okay.

"And, at nighttime, have him sleep in pull ups," Dr. Neal finished. "That will absorb any accidents and keep him from waking up."

"NO! MOMMY!" Alan screeched.

Well…at least _one_ problem had been solved.


	32. Chapter 32: Stern is Necessary

"Mommy, can I eat breakfast in the living room?"

"No, Alan," Hilary sighed, placing a bowl of cereal and milk in front of her young son. "Why do you want to eat in there when we're all in here?"

"Because I want to watch _Power Rangers_ ," Alan replied innocuously.

"No," Hilary replied again, shaking her head as she gave Vanessa her own bowl. "You can watch it _after_ you eat."

Alan scowled and picked up his spoon. " _Daddy_ lets me do it…"

"What?" Hilary breathed, her eyebrow twitching.

"Morning!"

Hilary glared at the doorway as Tyson walked in. Before she could ask the question that was on the tip of her tongue, Alan spun around and hung over the back of his chair, renewed hope in his warm brown eyes. "Daddy, can I watch TV while I eat breakfast?"

Tyson chuckled, but stopped when he realized Hilary was glowering at him. "Uh…no, not today, champ."

Alan resumed pouting as he turned back around towards the table. Knowing he was going to catch hell from his irate wife, Tyson slunk over to the fridge, hoping to shirk the conversation for as long as possible.

"You let him watch TV while he eats?!"

Tyson resisted the urge to throw his head back. He hadn't even gotten the refrigerator door open before Hilary ambushed him. When she was mad, her focus was unmatched. Tyson would've been impressed if he wasn't the subject of her scorn at the moment.

"Only sometimes," Tyson confessed, carefully looking over his shoulder to get a look at her angry face.

"Tyson!" Hilary whined. "I thought we agreed we weren't going to let them do that!"

"I didn't think every once in a while would hurt," Tyson calmly defended himself. "I always tell him not to make a mess when he eats in there."

"That's not the point," Hilary grumbled.

Tyson retrieved the carton of orange juice from the fridge and closed the door behind him. "Don't worry so much, Hil. It's totally harmless!"

Hilary still did not seem impressed. "Did your mother ever let you watch TV when you ate?"

"Well…uh…" Tyson stammered foolishly as Hilary stared at him, the kids watching curiously from behind her. Finally, he gave up his stuttering and admitted, "No, never."

Alan and Vanessa both giggled, while Hilary smiled satisfactorily. "I knew it! That's because she's smart."

"I agree my mom is smart, but I don't think it's because she didn't let me eat in front of the TV," Tyson murmured, scratching his head.

"It's smart because she wanted you to be polite," Hilary explained. "I want Alan and Vanessa to understand we eat meals at the table, as a family!"

"But then how come when you have a picnic, you eat on the floor?" Vanessa asked, tilting her head.

Hilary blinked, while Tyson started to laugh. "That's a great question, peanut!"

"That's an exception," Hilary sighed, glancing over at her daughter. "But even then, we'd all be sitting together and talking!"

"We can sit in front of the TV together," Alan tried. "But no talking 'cause I gotta hear _Power Rangers_!"

Tyson groaned, while Hilary smirked at her defeated husband. "I rest my case."

"Come on, Hil, don't you think it's okay to let them have a little fun every once in a while?" Tyson asked, walking over to sit down at the table.

"I let them have fun!" Hilary cried, offended by the idea that she didn't. "I just want them to have some boundaries, that's all."

"I have fun with Mommy!" Vanessa squeaked.

"Aw, thank you, my sweet girl!" Hilary cooed, clasping her hands together.

"Sorry, Hil," Tyson apologized, frowning at his wife. "I didn't mean to make it sound like you _never_ let them have any fun."

Hilary smiled sweetly at him. "It's alright. I know you didn't mean it that way. We just have different parenting styles, that's all. As long as we're in agreement on most things, and you understand that when I put my foot down, I'm just doing what I think is best for them, then it's fine."

Tyson returned his wife's smile. "Yeah, you're right!"

 **XXX**

"Anyway, Hilary found out I let the kids watch TV while they eat sometimes and she was ticked."

Ray, who had met up with Tyson for lunch at the Champion's invitation, didn't look surprised. "You knew she wouldn't be happy about that."

"Yeah, but I can't help it that we do things differently!" Tyson cried before tossing a fry in his mouth. He'd assured Hilary that he was fine with them doing things differently, but it had still ended up gnawing at him all morning. He really _was_ fine with it, he just didn't understand why it was always him getting scolded for his methods. He understood Hilary was a bit more serious, but he couldn't help it that he was more easygoing.

That was part of the reason Tyson had reached out to Ray and asked him if he wanted to meet up. Ray was good at talking Tyson through this kind of stuff. Plus, it never hurt to get a break from the BBA, hence their meeting at a restaurant not too far from the compound.

"I thought she told you before she didn't want them doing that," Ray replied, stabbing at his kungpao chicken.

"She did," Tyson admitted, earning an unimpressed look from Ray. "But I thought it'd be harmless when she wasn't around! I _did_ tell Alan and Vanessa it had to be our little secret, but then Alan went and let it slip."

"You also know Alan and Vanessa end up telling Hilary everything," Ray chuckled, shaking his head. "Whether they intend to or not."

"I know, but it's hard," Tyson grumbled.

"Because you both do things so differently?" Ray asked.

"Hilary is the parent who makes them take vitamins and freaks out if they stay up past their bedtime," Tyson elucidated. "But _I'm_ the parent who'll let 'em eat ice cream for breakfast and watch TV while they're doing it!"

Ray thought for a moment before stating, "Well, the good news is they need a little bit of both. So you two actually balance each other out pretty nicely."

"Maybe, but I think my way is more fun," Tyson grumbled. Tucker sighed at his master's indignant response and kept nibbling on a piece of his meat.

"Right, but you can't be having fun all the time," Ray reminded his best friend, smirking at Tucker's reaction. "Hilary's correct in the fact that kids need boundaries. Otherwise they'll be walking all over you and wreaking havoc. But you can't be that strict with them all the time either. It's good to give kids a little bit of freedom and let them have fun. Finding a fine line between the two is the key!"

Tyson groaned and sank back in his seat. "Being a parent isn't easy."

"No, not at all," Ray agreed. "It's good you acknowledge that, though!"

Tyson raised an eyebrow at the implication. "Are there people out there who don't?"

"Oh, for sure."

Tyson scoffed and sat back up straight. "If you asked me to choose between battling three sacred bit beasts at once with Dragoon or getting the kids to bed, I'd choose the first one any day."

Ray chortled before asking, "and Hilary?"

"Hilary would tell you she'd fight all of our bitbeasts with her _bare hands_ before trying to get the kids to do something they don't want to do."

 **XXX**

By the time he made it back home that evening, Tyson was pretty much over that morning's incident. His conversation with Ray had help him be more at peace with his and Hilary's different parenting styles, and that it was okay for them to do things a little differently. He supposed it couldn't be all bad if Hilary was more serious and he was more fun. After all, Ray was right; the kids did need both.

As soon as he opened the front door, however, Tyson was greeted by a high pitched shriek. Tucker's ears bent at the painful sound, while Tyson unintentionally recoiled.

"What was _that?_ " He gasped.

Looking back inside, it appeared that Alan and Vanessa were both completely hyper and out of control. They were running circles around each other, tossing toys and laughing loudly and wildly. Hilary was in the middle of it all, sitting on the floor and trying desperately to get the two to settle down while stuffed toys flew over her head. She was using her stern, motherly voice (Tyson knew it well…she used it on him quite a bit, too) but she also appeared very overwhelmed. Scowling, Tyson stepped inside and closed the door loudly behind him. _That_ got the children to stop and turn their attention onto their father. The slam, which had alarmed Hilary, caused her to look towards him as well.

"Daddy!" Both children cheered, running over to him. Tyson, while he was happy to see the two, kept the stern look on his face.

"Why aren't you two listening to Mommy?" Tyson asked, skipping the pleasantries.

Alan and Vanessa's mouths opened at the inquiry, but nothing came out.

"I don't want to come home and see you two causing her trouble," Tyson continued. He wasn't yelling, nor did he sound overly angry, but his tone was strict. "Understood?"

The kids silently nodded their heads.

"Good," Tyson sighed, finally allowing a smile to appear on his face.

Feeling that things were back under control, Hilary got to her feet and piped up, "Now that Daddy's home, I'm going to start working on dinner. You two can stay in here and play together while I get it ready. _Nicely_. Alright?"

"Yeah!" The siblings giggled, running back over to their mother. Tucker barkingly followed, intending to keep an eye on the children just in case they became unruly again. Fortunately, they had settled on the floor and were now playing much more quietly and calmly than they'd been before, just as Hilary had requested.

Satisfied with that, Hilary gently brushed past Tyson and made her way into the kitchen. Tyson followed after her, simply expecting to start a normal, end-of-day conversation with his wife.

"How did you do that?!"

Instead, he quickly learned that Hilary was still stuck on what had just transpired in the living room.

"What, get the kids to calm down?" Tyson asked, earning a nod from Hilary. "Oh…I just got a little sterner with them. I do that when they won't listen or they're getting too crazy. It works great!"

Hilary frowned as she touched the side of her face. "I don't get it. I tried the same thing, but it did nothing! And then I wasn't sure what to do…but you came in and stopped them right away."

"To be honest, I think it's because I goof around with them so much that when I get serious, they know to listen," Tyson admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not."

Hilary smiled, which bewildered Tyson. "How come you're smiling?"

"Because you're cute," Hilary stated bluntly. "It was a good thing today, and right now that's all I care about! Thanks for the assist."

Tyson chuckled. "No prob! Anything to help you out, babe. Why were they so hyper, anyway? They're not normally _that_ crazy."

Hilary looked sheepish as she confessed, "I let them have some cookies as a snack. I usually go for something healthier, but after you talked about letting them have more fun, I figured giving them a bit of a treat couldn't hurt. But I was wrong. _Really_ wrong."

Tyson laughed. "They are a couple of sugar fiends! That would explain all of the bouncing off the walls."

"Well, at least you managed to calm them down," Hilary sighed in relief.

A crashing sound suddenly came from the next room. Hilary raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Tyson, who couldn't help but to smirk at her.

"I'll go in there and do it again."

"Thanks, Ty."


	33. Chapter 33: The Stupid Game

"You know, you two have been _so good_ while we've been here, I think you should pick out a game we can all play together when we get home!"

Alan and Vanessa's eyes lit up as soon as their mother said that. Squealing delightfully, they began scurrying up and down the board game aisle, where they were already situated, looking over all of the boxes that surrounded them.

Hilary smirked to herself and followed after the little ones. She thought it was so sweet how excited they got over the littlest things. Their innocence was really one of the most beautiful things she'd ever experienced.

"Let's get this one!" Alan cried, pointing at a box that had images of candy all over it.

"We already have that one," Vanessa reminded her brother.

"Oh," Alan squeaked, lowering his hand.

Vanessa hummed to herself and kept moving down the aisle, more slowly this time. Alan followed closely behind, continuing to examine the board games lining the shelves.

"Look at this one!"

Vanessa had stopped suddenly, causing Alan to walk into her. He looked up to where she was pointing, and noticed the box depicted people and Digimon sitting inside of cars together and following a winding, colorful road.

"Cars!" Alan gasped.

"It has lots of pretty colors!" Vanessa added. "And look at all the different Digimon!"

Hilary caught up to her children and took a look at the game herself. "You guys like this one?"

"Yeah!" They both chirped.

She took the box off the shelf, her eyes scanning the front of it. " _Digi Life_ huh? This looks like a cute game…"

She flipped the box over to examine the back. It seemed silly, but she really had to look over these kinds of things to make sure they were _really_ appropriate for a pair of 7 year old daughter and three year old son. One too many times, Tyson had brought something home for the kids that he thought was cute (usually based solely on the packaging) and upon actually looking more deeply into what those things were…they were _definitely_ not meant for young kids.

This game, however, did seem pretty wholesome. She figured she could trust it enough…especially since she was never the one who accidentally bought inappropriate things for the kids.

"Okay, if this is the game you guys want, we'll get this one," Hilary decided, smiling at the two as they cheered in response.

"And you and Daddy will play it with us?" Vanessa asked excitedly.

"Of course!" Hilary giggled. "I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun!"

 **XXX**

The kids basically broke down the front door when they and their mother got back to the house. Their sudden entrance caused Tucker to charge towards the door, growling and ready to attack. Once they realized it was just Alan and Vanessa, however, both relaxed and instead happily greeted the children.

"Ah, I was wondering why they settled down so quick!"

Tyson came trampling down the stairs, immediately kneeling down so Alan and Vanessa could tackle him.

"You guys think you're stronger than me, huh?" Tyson teased. They continued jumping at him, finally managing to knock him down just a bit. "Ugh, maybe you are!"

Alan and Vanessa both shrieked with laughter, trying to get their father down closer to the floor.

"Are you two torturing your daddy?"

The kids both laughed again and looked over their shoulders. "No, Mommy!"

"I would hope not after you were both so well behaved at the store," Hilary mused, placing the shopping bags down at her feet.

"They were good?" Tyson gasped playfully as he got to his feet. "Well, if that's not the _least_ surprising thing I've ever heard!"

"Yes, I know, you think they can do no wrong," Hilary teased, crossing her arms.

"All kids do stupid stuff every once in a while," Tyson elucidated. "Anyone who says their kids don't is a liar."

Hilary smirked. "I see, so are _you_ a liar?"

"Hey, just because _I_ know it's a lie doesn't mean other people do," Tyson chuckled, holding his arms out towards his wife to imply he wanted a hug.

"Ugh, are you all sweaty and gross?" Hilary whined, making a face. He had a habit of trying to envelop her after a workout just to gross her out.

"No, I just showered!" Tyson cried, plucking at his shirt. "Do I not smell like it?"

"I don't know, I was just messing with you," Hilary purred, pressing a hand against the back of Tyson's head to pull him closer and kiss him.

Tyson eagerly kissed her back, placing one hand on her lower back and the other one cupping the bump of her belly.

"I think she got bigger since the last time I saw you," Tyson whispered against her lips.

"You mean this morning?" Hilary breathed. "I don't think so."

Tyson hummed and started to kiss the side of Hilary's neck instead, causing her to moan. "You know, I could see if my mom is free tonight…she could watch Alan and Vanessa and we could-"

Something suddenly pressed into Tyson's ankle. Blinking, he looked down and realized Alan was holding onto a box and jamming it against his leg.

"What's that, champ?" Tyson asked, nodding towards the box.

"Game!" Alan cried, holding it up so his father could see.

"I bought it for them because they were so well behaved while I got the shopping done," Hilary explained. "And I told them we would all play it together."

Tyson groaned and pulled his shoulders back. "I thought we were gonna have _grown up fun_ today!"

"I promised no such thing," Hilary snickered. "You totally made that up."

"Daddy, we wanna play the game!" Alan whined, shaking the box.

"Okay, okay, we'll play it," Tyson hushed the boy. "But I think we have to open it first."

Alan blinked and took another look at the box before holding it up. "Daddy, can you open it?"

Tyson laughed and accepted the game from his son. "Yes, buddy."

Alan grinned and turned towards their dog. "You guys can play with us too!"

''Woof!'' the dog wagged his tail excitedly.

"I don't know about that, sweetie, Tucker always tries to eat the pieces," Hilary sighed, watching as Tyson disappeared into the kitchen.

"Kay, I got that plastic wrap off," Tyson announced, walking back into the foyer with the game box in his hands. "It sounds like there's a lot of pieces in here…I'm surprised you're cool with that, Hil."

"I didn't check," Hilary plainly replied.

"Wait…what?" Tyson deadpanned.

"I was too busy trying to make sure this game was actually _appropriate_ for a couple of five year olds," Hilary explained, narrowing her eyes. "Something _you_ forget to do quite often, Mr. World Champion."

"I've only made that mistake like one time," Tyson grumbled.

"Seven," Hilary coughed.

"But who's counting?" Tyson teased.

"Mommy! Daddy! Let's play now!"

Alan was tugging at both of his parents' legs, trying to move them into the living room.

"Okay, we're coming, little guy," Hilary sighed, moving on her own.

They set up the board on the floor, which as Tyson had said, had far more pieces than Hilary was anticipating. There were little cars, little pegs to put _in_ the cars, paper money, several different stacks of cards, a spinner…

"I might have screwed up this time," Hilary begrudgingly admitted, twisting her mouth once the multitude of pieces were finally in place.

"Thanks for admitting it," Tyson chuckled. "Though I'll give you a pass this time and blame it on your pregnancy brain."

"Not a bad idea," Hilary quipped.

"I wanna be the red car!"

"And I'm gonna be blue!"

Tyson and Hilary turned their heads, realizing the kids were now positioning their game pieces on the board.

"Man, we'd better stop talking and get to playing, before the kids start playing without us," Tyson teased.

"You guys have to pick a car too," Alan noted, pushing the remaining pieces forward. "Which ones do you want?"

Tyson held his hand out towards Hilary. "Ladies first."

"Aw, how sweet of you," Hilary giggled. "I'll be green!"

Tyson surveyed the remaining two pieces: white and orange. "Hmm…I guess I'll be orange!"

"Yay!" Vanessa cheered. "Now everyone gets a little tiny person in their car!"

She held up four tiny pegs; two blue, and two pink, and then sat one in each little car piece. Once that was all set up, the four of them began to actually play the game, and that's when things quickly began to deteriorate.

It started when Tyson became the first person to reach the marriage spot on the board. Vanessa gleefully handed him a pink peg to put in his car, and quickly followed up with, "who are you marrying, Daddy?"

"Who?" Tyson repeated, his eyebrow raising. "Is that part of the game? I have to say who?"

"No, I just made that up," Vanessa giggled. "I think it's fun!"

"Oh," Tyson breathed. "Well…I guess I'll marry Mommy!"

"Aww," Hilary cooed, kissing her husband's cheek. "I'm glad to know you'd marry me even in a game!"

"Of course!" Tyson chuckled.

When Vanessa reached the spot next, she declared that she was going to marry the prince from her favorite mermaid movie. Hilary giggled at her daughter's innocence, while Tyson blushed a bit.

"It's not real, Daddy," Vanessa reminded her father when she saw his cheeks were turning red.

"Yeah, I know that, princess," Tyson laughed nervously. "Sorry, I don't mean to be so crazy!"

"It's okay," Vanessa assured him. "I know it's –cause you love me!"

"You're right, it is," Tyson confirmed, his smile widening.

Hilary was the third to reach the spot, and quickly said, "Well, if Daddy married me, then I'm going to marry him too!"

Tyson beamed, but that expression quickly faded when Vanessa cried, "pick someone else!"

"Huh?" Tyson muttered, looking confused.

"How come I have to pick someone else, baby?" Hilary asked.

"Cause Daddy already picked you," Vanessa explained. "So you have to pick someone else!"

"Is that in the rules too?" Tyson asked, picking up the instruction manual.

"No Daddy, I made it up!" Vanessa squeaked. "I told you that!"

"Oh, okay," Hilary murmured, tapping her chin. "If I really have to pick someone else, then I guess I'll go with…Alec Baldwin."

Tyson's blush intensified. "Him? Seriously?"

"You know you're my first choice," Hilary tried soothing him, placing her hand on his thigh.

"Yeah, but why'd you have to pick him?" Tyson complained. "Isn't he a little old for you?"

"Maybe, but he's still very handsome."

"Hilary!"

"Oh, Tyson, don't get jealous! It's just a silly little game."

"You wouldn't be saying the same thing if I was picking a different woman to marry in this 'silly little game'…"

Hilary shrugged her shoulders. "You picked me first! I can't help that. At least in your car we're married."

Tyson was still pouting over Hilary's choice. During this time, it was Alan's turn to move his car, and he at last reached the marriage space as well. "Finally!"

"Alan, who are you gonna marry?" Vanessa asked excitedly.

"A sandwich!" Alan replied, his eyes lighting up.

Tyson, Hilary, and Vanessa all sat in silence. Unaffected by their strange looks, Alan rested his head in his hands and mused aloud, "it'll be the tastiest sandwich ever."

 **XXX**

"Mommy had a baby girl!"

Hilary raised an eyebrow as she glanced down at her round stomach. "This game is getting a little too real."

"Yeah, except for you marrying Alec…" Tyson muttered.

"My turn!" Vanessa called, reaching out to spin. She got a three, and when she moved that many spaces, she landed on one that indicated a Digimon adoption. "Oh, yay! I want an Alraumon!"

She plucked a green peg with floppy ears and stuck it in her car.

"I hope I don't get that," Alan muttered as he took his turn to spin. "I already have a Alraumon _and_ a Agumon! There's not gonna be any more room in my car."

Fortunately for the boy, he avoided that space. When it was Tyson's turn to go next, he landed on a space that instructed him to pick a card. He did so, and read aloud, "Your Digimon hurt its paw and had to use up a potion. Pay $50."

"Ooh, that's too bad," Vanessa breathed.

"Wait, do I really have to pay this?" Tyson asked, looking incredulous.

"Yeah, the card says so," Alan replied.

"But I don't even _have_ a Digimon in my car!" Tyson cried.

"Daddy, you gotta listen to the card," Alan sighed.

Tyson growled and picked up the instructions again, flipping through them. "No way, there's gotta be something in here that says you don't have to pay for what you don't have!"

"Oh Tyson, just pay the money," Hilary huffed.

"Why am I gonna pay for a non-existent Digimon?!" Tyson hissed.

"Because the card says so," Hilary answered.

Tyson groaned and buried his face in his hands. "This game doesn't make any sense."

 **XXX**

"Alright, hang on a second. Why do you get paid for having kids? That's not a real thing!"

"In this game it is, apparently."

"No one has _ever_ paid us for having kids! We're usually paying other people _because_ we have kids…"

Alan and Vanessa snickered as their father continued to freak out. He'd been taking the game a little too seriously, and had been getting repeatedly frustrated over almost every aspect of it. At this point, that was almost more fun for them than playing the actual game.

"You're just mad because you didn't have any kids," Hilary challenged, pointing at Tyson's relatively empty car. It was occupied by only two pegs; the ones that were supposed to represent him and Hilary.

"Well I _wanted_ kids, but apparently this game doesn't care about what you want!" Tyson cried. "I mean, seriously, Alan married a _sandwich_ and _they_ had kids!"

"They're cheese, pickle, and tomato," Alan stated proudly, pointing at each of the three additional pegs in his car.

Tyson looked positively dumbfounded, which led Hilary to giggle.

"I can't take any of this seriously," Tyson muttered, shaking his head.

Hilary smirked and sidled up closer to Tyson. "You are _so_ cute when you get all frustrated like this."

"Let's see how cute you think I am when I tear all my hair out," Tyson grumbled.

Hilary pressed a kiss against her husband's cheek. "Please don't do that."

"So…are we all done?" Tyson sighed, casting a rather nasty glare the board game.

"Not quite," Hilary replied. "We've all got to count up our money first. That's how we'll know who won the game!"

"Mommy, Daddy, Alan can't count his money."

Tyson and Hilary both sighed and glanced at their son. He had combined all of the colorful paper money, and had his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth as he examined the stack.

"Sweetie, what are you doing?" Hilary asked kindly.

"I'm rich, Mommy!" Alan announced.

"Really?" Tyson chuckled, his mood managing to improve. "How much money do you have, champ?"

"A hundred million dollars," Alan breathed, his eyes sparkling as he fanned the bills out.

Tyson let out a shallow breath. "Oh good Lord."

"Hey, after the 'marrying a sandwich' shtick, this isn't so bad," Hilary scoffed. "Come here, baby, let me help you with all that money."

Alan crawled forward and settled himself next to his mother, holding the bills up to her.

"No, you come closer!" Hilary playfully growled, lifting the wildly laughing boy onto her lap. "Ugh, you are just the cutest little boy in the whole entire world!"

Alan continued giggling as he leaned against Hilary, watching as she carefully leafed through his paper money. Vanessa, meanwhile, realized it was a bit too much for her to count as well. She was a smart little girl, but these were numbers beyond _any_ seven year old's comprehension.

"Daddy," Vanessa whined.

"What's up, princess?" Tyson asked, finishing up counting his own money.

"I can't count mine either," Vanessa admitted, sounding dejected.

"It's okay!" Tyson assured her. "I'll count it for you. Just let me finish mine, okay?"

Vanessa nodded and crawled closer to her father, offering him her stack. Tyson completed counting his and mentally memorized the number before getting to work on Vanessa's.

"Alright, Alan and I are all set!" Hilary announced, throwing down her money before wrapping her arms around her young son. "Right, buddy?"

"Yeah!" Alan cheered.

"How much do you two have?" Hilary asked, shifting her gaze between Tyson and Vanessa.

"Well, I have $950,000," Tyson recited, just finishing counting Vanessa's money as his face fell. "And Vanny has $1,250,000."

Vanessa beamed. "Yay, I beat Daddy!"

"You beat me too," Hilary sounded genuinely impressed. "I had $1,050,000."

Tyson's eyes darkened. "Seriously? You also got more than me?"

"Seems like it," Hilary giggled. "Alan, why don't you tell everyone how much you had?"

Alan blinked and glanced up at his mother. "How much was it again, Mommy?"

Hilary smirked and lowered her head to whisper in her son's ear. Alan listened intently before slowly reciting, "$1,500,000."

Vanessa and Tyson both paled. "Hilary, is he kidding? Did he just make that number up?"

"No," Hilary started to laugh, shaking her head. "He really had that much money. I couldn't believe it!"

"Does that mean Alan wins?" Vanessa groaned.

"It does indeed," Hilary giggled as Alan excitedly threw both of his hands up.

"I'm the champion!" Alan declared.

"Good job, little man!" Hilary cooed, lifting the boy up to kiss him all over his face. "Mommy's so proud of you!"

Tyson was suddenly boiling again. "This whole game is based on luck! There's literally no skill involved!"

Hilary smirked as she stood Alan up beside her, gently squeezing his sides. "Daddy's just jealous he lost."

"Yeah, I am!" Tyson cried, not even bothering to argue with his wife.

Vanessa took a moment to think about it before deciding, "Mommy, I don't care that I lost. I really like this game!"

"I'm so glad!" Hilary giggled. "You had fun playing together?"

"Uh huh," Vanessa confirmed. "I love when we play stuff all together, Mommy!"

"Me too!" Alan agreed.

Hilary cooed and looked over at her husband. "Tyson, isn't that sweet? Our kids were just happy they got to play with us!"

Once again, Tyson's irritation dissipated. "I loved getting to play together too! Even if this game doesn't make a ton of sense…"

Vanessa let out a short laugh and threw herself at her father, giving him a big hug. Tyson smirked and placed a hand on the back of her head, craning his neck to give her a kiss on the forehead.

"I think it's nap time for you kiddos," Hilary sighed, stretching her arms over her head. "Sound good?"

"No, Mommy, I'm not tired," Alan whined.

"You'll get tired once your head hits the pillow," Hilary teased.

"Nuh uh," Alan refuted.

"Then why don't I read you two a pre-nap story?" Hilary asked. "Would you like that?"

Alan thought about it before replying, "I _guess_ so…"

Hilary snickered and ruffled her son's hair. "You two head upstairs, okay? I'll be there in just a minute."

Alan and Vanessa slowly made their way towards the stairs, ambling up the steps while their parents watched after them. Once both children were out of sight, Hilary turned towards a surprised Tyson and gently grabbed his face, pulling it in to plant a deep, sensual kiss against his lips.

"Thanks for entertaining the kids with me," Hilary whispered against his mouth, breaking their kiss.

"No problem," Tyson breathed, sounding entranced.

"We're gonna play a game you like a _whole_ lot better once I get those two down for their naps," Hilary added, running a finger down his chest. "One that you can't lose."

Tyson grinned and placed his hands on the sides of his wife's pregnant belly. "Thank God my real life is a _whole_ lot better than whatever just happened in that dumb game."


	34. Chapter 34- A Girl Advice

**Thought this would be the perfect time for the debut of Tyson and Hilary's third child, Tammy.**

* * *

Alan was confused, to say the least.

When he was little, he thought that all girls had cooties. Including his sister. After awhile, he realized that the concept of cooties was stupid and that no such thing existed. But he still didn't have much of an interest in girls. He just wanted to catch and train Pokémon, and to dream of one day becoming the Beyblade Champion like his father.

But lately, things had been a little different for the young Beyblader.

He'd found himself rather infatuated with one of Vanessa's friendly rivals, Clarisse. The girl was amazingly beautiful, more so than any other girl Alan had ever seen in his life. She had fair, glowing skin that was like a porcelain doll's. Her hair was platinum blonde, long and flipped out at the bottom, while her eyes were big and bright, a very beautiful hazel in color.

About her, other than physical appearance, Alan knew this: she was from Greece and she was from a wealthy family. She was very girly, and loved the colors pink and purple. Alan had never seen her wear anything other than a dress. He was also aware that Clarisse's goal was become to a top Beyblader and work BBA someday as an elite.

Alan sighed. All of this thinking, about a _girl,_ seemed absolutely ridiculous to him. How could he think so much about one person? Was this what love felt like? He couldn't answer those questions for himself. He needed help, and there was only one person Alan could think of getting that help from.

Jumping off of his bed in the hotel, Alan made sure to tip toe past the other beds where Vanessa and their travelling companions, Rin and Ashton, were taking a late afternoon nap.

Once he was out of the room, Alan headed towards the row of video phones and sat down at one, dialing the number of who he needed to talk to. It felt like the phone rang for an eternity, and the entire time, Alan was trying to think of a way to bring this subject up. He didn't necessarily want to talk about it, he just didn't know what to do, and all of these feelings were conflicting him. If there was one thing Alan absolutely hated, it was being perplexed.

At last, the screen flickered to life, and Alan looked up with hopeful eyes. The sight he was met with was not what Alan wanted, however, and he quickly scowled at the image.

"What're you doing answering the phone, squirt?" Alan grumbled.

The young lady on the screen huffed before yelling out, "don't call me that! I'm not a squirt!"

"Calm down, I'm just teasing you," Alan frowned. He didn't really like to rile up his baby sister, but she never seemed to grasp his playful nature.

"I'm still not a squirt," Tammy turned her head away.

"Fine, whatever, you're not a squirt," Alan sighed. "But look, Tam, I didn't call to talk to you. Where's Dad?"

"You need Daddy?" Tammy asked, turning her head back around so she was facing the screen once again.

"Yeah."

Giggling, Tammy tilted her head to the side and chirped, "He's at work right now!"

Alan's jaw dropped. "T…Tam!"

"What?" Tammy pouted. "I'm not lying to you! I mean it!"

"Well, when's he coming home?" Alan seemed a lot more discouraged than he had just moments ago.

"Soon, I think," Tammy shrugged. Smiling sweetly, she asked, "Do you want to talk to Mommy instead?"

"No!" Alan answered quickly, confusing Tammy. "Eh, sorry, Tam. But I can't talk to Mom about this."

"Why not?" Tammy raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to talk about? Oh, I know! You can talk to me!"

"No, Tammy," Alan groaned, resisting the urge to hit his head against the desk on which the video phone sat. "I can't talk to Mom about this, and I can't talk to _you_ about this. I can't talk to _any_ girl about this!"

"Why not?" Tammy pressed again. "Is it a boy problem?"

Sighing, Alan replied, "yes, Tam. It's a boy problem. So you girls can't help me out with it."

"That's true, I'm definitely not a boy," Tammy scrunched her nose up. "But Seth is a boy! Maybe you can talk to him!"

"Seth?" Alan furrowed his brow. "Isn't that your little friend from school?"

"He's my boyfriend," Tammy nodded proudly.

"Tammy, you're 7 years old, you don't have a boyfriend," Alan shook his head.

"I do too! Seth is my boyfriend!"

"Okay, well I'm not asking your "boyfriend" for any advice," Alan rolled his eyes. "I guess I'll just have to call back later when Dad's home."

Just then, Alan could hear the sound of a door opening in the house. He watched as Tammy peered over her shoulder and waited for a second before squeaking and whipping back around to lock eyes with her older brother.

"Alan! Daddy just came home!" Laughing, she added, "You're lucky, huh?"

"I guess I am," Alan raised an eyebrow.

"I should go get him and tell him that you want to talk," Tammy mused. "Otherwise, he's going to go take a nap, and then Mommy is going to yell at him for being lazy."

"Alright, thanks Ta-"

"DADDY!" Tammy screamed, causing Alan to jump in his chair. "ALAN WANTS TO TALK TO YOU! GET YOUR BUTT IN HERE!"

"Man, Tam," Tyson walked in behind Tammy, rubbing at his ears. "Do ya have to be so loud?"

"I needed to get you, Daddy," Tammy answered simply.

"You couldn't just get up and come to me?" Tyson frowned.

"No," Tammy shook her head. "Now, talk to Alan! He won't tell me what he wants to talk about. I think it's some kind of boy secret. What do you think, Daddy?"

"I don't know, pumpkin, but I'm sure I'll find out once you let me actually talk to him," Tyson smirked.

"Oh, yeah!" Looking back at Alan, Tammy informed him, "I have to go now, because Daddy wants to talk to you. Well…I guess _you_ want to talk to _him._ I don't know!"

"Tam, go play with your toys or something," Alan buried his face in his hands.

"I'm not a baby!" Tammy snapped.

"Tam, come on sweetheart," Tyson picked Tammy up off the chair and held her close. "Let me and Alan talk, alright?"

Tammy huffed quietly but nodded, allowing her father to give her a kiss on the head before placing her on the floor and letting her run off.

"I'm sorry, Alan," Tyson apologized as he sat down in Tammy's former seat. "She's becoming more and more like your mother every day, I'm afraid."

Alan smirked at that. "It's fine."

"So, you want to talk about something?" Tyson asked, resting his arms atop the desk. "Must be pretty important, since you seem to have quite the aversion to calling your mother and me."

"I just don't like taking time away from my training, that's all," Alan blushed.

"I know, but a few more calls home won't hinder your performance," Tyson smirked. "So, tell me what's up."

Grimacing, Alan half looked up in a shy manner, quietly prompting, "what does it feel like when…you…well…when you…"

"Alan, come on buddy, spit it out," Tyson flattened out his brow.

"How does it feel when you like someone?" Alan blurted out, only turning redder after uttering this question.

Tyson looked rather surprised by this. He sat up so he was sitting at his full height, and eyed Alan curiously. "What do you mean, son? Who are you talking about?"

"A…a girl," Alan murmured. "I'm talking about when you like a girl."

Tyson's eyes widened and he leaned back in the chair. He just stared at his teenage son for a few moments, quietly observing the boy's figure and running various thoughts through his head. Eventually, Alan got sick of the silence and forced his eyes all the way up.

"Dad?"

Clearing his throat and shaking his head, Tyson pulled himself away from the back of the chair. "Sorry. I just…uh…wasn't expecting this."

"Me either," Alan agreed. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing!" Tyson answered quickly. "Nothing is wrong with you, buddy. There's nothing wrong with liking a girl!"

"You told me you didn't like any girls when you were my age," Alan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Because I didn't," Tyson responded. "Which was kind of bad…I was too dense."

Tyson was really glad that his son wasn't as oblivious when it came to love as he had been. The older male had been so blind to love in his youth that he hadn't been able to pick up on the fact that Hilary had a crush on him until he was 16 years old. She had told him after the fact that she'd loved him for a lot longer than that, and truthfully, it pained Tyson to know this little fact. He had always loved his and Hilary's relationship as friends, but he enjoyed their relationship as lovers even more, and he wished they had been able to start that more serious connection sooner. It was such a special bond, and Tyson treasured it greatly. He had to make sure that Alan was aware of these things and that the younger boy would not make the same mistakes that his father had.

"So…it's not bad that I have a…crush?" Alan winced.

"No, not at all."

"But…how do I _know_ it's a crush?"

Tyson chuckled. "Alan, typically, with a crush, you just know. You don't have to have ever experienced love or anything of the sort to know what a crush feels like. It just sort of…hits you. But, if it'll help, tell me what you're thinking about this girl."

"Well, I think about her a lot," Alan sheepishly admitted. "And I get really excited whenever we run into her. But it's not the kind of excited I get when we run into any other person. Like…I get excited to the point where I have butterflies in my stomach and I want to give her a big hug. But I never do…because that would be embarrassing. And those are too girly anyway."

"Hugs aren't girly, son," Tyson smirked.

"So, what do you think?" Alan ignored his father's last comment. "Do I have a crush on her?"

"It sounds like you've got it pretty bad," Tyson nodded.

Alan groaned and pulled his shoulders back, acting as if he had just been giving some devastating, life altering news. At this reaction, Tyson couldn't help but to smile fondly. His little boy really was quite grown up.

"I don't know what to do," Alan grumbled.

"Well…what _do_ you want to do?" Tyson inquired.

Alan just sat there for a few moments and thought. He too leaned back in his chair as he continued to think. Eventually, he just shook his head and sighed, "I don't know, Dad. I really don't know what I want to do."

Twisting his mouth, Tyson tried, "do you really like her?"

It took a second or two, but Alan nodded.

"And you've never felt this way about any other girl before?"

Alan shook his head this time, and it took a lot less thinking for him to do this.

"Then I think you should act upon it," Tyson grinned. "If your heart is telling you to do something, than you have to follow it! Life wouldn't be any fun without taking chances, especially when it's something your heart desires."

"Dad, I don't know how to deal with this," Alan quickly retorted. "How am I supposed to…impress this girl or whatever? I have no clue."

"I can help with that," Tyson promised his son. "Nobody likes to believe it, but I'm a romantic. I'm very good when it comes to your mother. I mean…I wasn't when I was younger, but I am now, and that's all that matters. Either way, I've got your back."

"Then tell me what to do," Alan was practically pleading.

"First you have to tell me about this girl, so I know what she's like," Tyson shook a finger at his son. "Tell me something about her."

''Her names, Clarisse. She's Vanessa's rival. Hails from Greece. Quite the strategist I must say. Her eyes are hazel blue. She's my about my height and also older than me. From a rich family, actually. Her Dad's…''

"Alright enough with her biodata. " Tyson interjected, surprised once again. ''So she's a Greek, huh…''

"What's with that face?" Alan raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, bud. Just didn't expect you would want to score for a Greek," Tyson smirked. "From the time you were a little boy, your mother and I were always convinced that you would fall for hometown girl Japanese, or at least an American! Greeks didn't seem to fit your bill."

"Why would you talk about that kind of stuff when I was _little?_ " Alan seemed disturbed by this idea.

"It was mostly your Mom's doing," Tyson smiled fondly. "She thinks about _everything_ when it comes to you kids. So, anyway, this girl's a Greek?"

"Yeah," Alan nodded. "She's really pretty…she has blonde hair and hazel eyes. And she's also really nice and sweet.''

''Heard it the first time from Vanessa, champ. Give it a rest…'' Tyson deadpanned.

''And she's gorgeous too1'' Alan blurted out, afraid his father may have missed on that.

"I know," Tyson assured the frantic boy. "Vanessa has told me about her before. Isn't her name…Clara?"

"Clarisse," Alan corrected.

"Ah, right," Tyson smiled. "Well, she certainly sounds like a sweet girl. I think your best bet would be to act like yourself! Genuine girls like her like that kind of stuff."

"Do girls like it when you get them presents?" Alan asked.

"Yes!" Tyson answered immediately. "But don't get anything too lavish, because then they'll get mad at you for spending so much money on them. At least, that's what your mother used to do."

Alan nodded once again. He still wasn't entirely sure of what to do, but he figured he was going to have to figure most of it out on his own. His father had certainly helped. But every girl was different. . Alan would just have to figure out Clarisse on his own.

"Thanks, Dad," Alan looked up at the screen and smiled. "I feel better now."

"I'm glad," Tyson grinned. "So, you're going to go for it?"

Taking a deep breath, Alan smiled and nodded. "I think so. I really like her, Dad. And even if it takes me a little while to really admit my feelings to her; at least I can start to figure things out."

"That sounds like a plan to me," Tyson laughed. "You're really growing up, son."

Alan blushed at this and chose to ignore the overly sappy observation. "Thanks for the help, Dad. I really needed it."

"I'll always be here to help you, champ," Tyson smiled calmly. "Remember that."

"I will," Alan smirked.

"Especially remember it when girls start to give you trouble and try chasing you around with a broomsticks," Tyson concluded very seriously.

Alan was puzzled by this strange comment. "Wait…what?"

"Don't worry about it," Tyson chuckled. "You'll probably be fine. I love you, buddy."

Alan was about to grimace, but he stopped himself. He loved his parents fawning over him as a child, but now he hated whenever they did it. But his father was right. They would always be there for him, and they loved him dearly. And Alan, of course felt the same way.

"Thanks Dad," Alan repeated. "I love you too."


	35. Chapter 35- NEW YEARS EVE

**WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR**

 **Alan- 5 year old**

 **Vanessa- 8 year old**

* * *

This was the year. Alan knew it. He felt it in his bones, and besides that, he was determined. This year was going to be different. It wouldn't be like before.

This was the year he was going to stay awake until midnight.

When he announced the plan to his parents in the morning, they didn't look so sure. It wasn't their son's determination that they doubted. Not at all. He got that from Tyson, and it was as strong as could be. But the truth of the matter was that Alan was just a five year old boy, and staying awake that late into the night might be physically impossible.

"Alan, sweetie, are you sure?" Hilary frowned.

"Yeah!" Alan quickly nodded his head. "I am!"

"It's kind of hard to stay up until midnight, champ," Tyson's eyes were flickering between his wife and his young son.

"I can do it!" Alan whined. "I know I can!"

"Alan-"Hilary tried to reason with the boy before getting cut off.

"I'm a big boy, Mommy," Alan huffed. "I can stay up really late! Just like you and Daddy!"

Hilary sighed and turned her onyx eyes onto her husband. Tyson didn't look certain, but he wasn't about to jump out of his skin over it either. "Sure, you can give it a try, buddy!"

"I will!" Alan jumped up in determination and ran out of the kitchen, leaving behind his slightly bewildered parents.

"Tyson, do you really think it's such a good idea?" Hilary frowned.

"Come on, Hil, it's just a one night thing," Tyson smirked. "Everyone stays up 'til midnight on New Year's Eve! It won't hurt Alan just to try. Between you and me, I don't think he's going to make it."

"Yeah, probably not," Hilary sighed. "I feel bad. Seeing the ball drop is so amazing! I can understand why Alan wants to stay up until midnight."

"Eventually he'll be able to stay awake until midnight," Tyson smiled at his wife. "Not sure bout Vanessa though! But, for now, they're still really little. I'm not gonna' tell him no, though. We'll see how it goes."

 **XXX**

New Year's Eve went different every single year for Tyson and Hilary, or so it seemed.

Before the kids had been born, the two usually attended a big party held by one of their many friends; usually one of Tyson's teammates. They were fancy affairs, where both Tyson and Hilary had dressed up and participated in socializing and (admittedly) some underage drinking of champagne.

Now that they were parents, however, Tyson and Hilary's New Year's celebrations had been considerably toned down. They usually just went to either Hilary's parents' house, or to Grandpa's house, conveniently in the area. Sometimes, their friends came over with their families in order to celebrate together, but it was usually a low key affair.

For this year, Tyson and Hilary were simply going to celebrate the holiday with Hilary's family. her father was out of town on some tour business and sadly couldn't join the table. Johanna, Hilary's mother, had cooked a wonderful dinner, consisting of different kinds of fish and pasta. Tyson wasn't the biggest fan of fish, but when it was his Mother in law's cooking, he'd eat it all. That much was apparent as he stuffed his face at the dinner table and earned two way glares from all members of the family.

"Grammy!" Alan piped up, wanting to catch the older woman's attention. "Guess what!"

Giggling, Johanna finally turned her eyes away from Tyson in order to give all of her consideration to Alan. "What, sweetheart?"

"I'm gonna' stay up 'til midnight!" Alan announced proudly.

"Oh?" Johanna smiled weakly. She was having the same exact thoughts that Tyson and Hilary had when Alan first brought up his intentions.

"Yeah!" Alan nodded feverously before stuffing a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. "If's goin' 'o be s' muf fun!"

"Alan, don't talk with your mouth full," Hilary gently scolded her young son.

Sitting next to Alan, Vanessa raised a wry eyebrow and voiced, "Alan can't stay up 'til midnight!"

The three adults knew exactly what was coming, and Alan definitely didn't disappoint. "Yes I can! Why not?"

"It's 'cause you're too little," Vanessa huffed at her little brother. "It's too hard to stay up that late!"

"Well, I'm gonna'!" Alan was not deterred. "Just you wait!"

"He sure talks a big game, huh?" Tyson chuckled.

"He's a very determined little boy," Johanna giggled. "Reminds me of another little boy I once knew!"

Tyson chuckled before furrowing his brow in confusion and asking, "uh…who's that?"

"Oh, Tyson," Hilary sighed, smacking her hand against her forehead.

 **XXX**

As the night wore on, Alan's determination to stay awake until midnight only grew stronger. He wouldn't stop stressing that this was the night. He really knew it was.

Hilary even had to fight with the boy to put on his pajamas. He argued that putting them on would only make him sleepy, but Hilary managed to convince her young son that it would just be easier to put him to bed _after_ midnight if they were on. And it wasn't a lie. The last thing Hilary wanted to be doing past midnight was trying to wrangle a tired and cranky Alan into his pajamas.

That had won her the argument, at least. Alan was now running around the house in his blue and gray race car pajamas, thinking that would be a good way to keep himself up.

"Hey, Alan!" Tyson called after the boy. "Don't run in the house! You're gonna' break something!"

Right after Tyson had yelled that, Alan wound up running into the small, decorative table that Johanna used to display an antique vase that Hilary had brought for her. The rose bowl shook a few times, causing Tyson to run forward and grab the piece of ceramic, saving it from a shattered fate. Alan, on the other hand, had fallen onto his butt and was now sitting on the ground, whimpering and holding onto his head.

"See?" Tyson sighed. "Now you got hurt!"

Alan whimpered again, and Tyson knew he couldn't stay mad at the boy, even though he _had_ warned him about the dangers of running around in the house. Leaning down, he gathered Alan into his arms and carried the upset boy into the living room, where Johanna and Hilary were busy giggling and playing with Vanessa. As soon as they heard the whimpers, however, they all stopped and looked up at Tyson.

"Oh my, what happened?" Johanna questioned.

"Alan was being naughty and running around the house," Tyson explained. "He knocked himself right into a table and got hurt."

"Poor baby," Johanna frowned.

"Give him to me," Hilary held her arms out. Tyson handed the boy off to his mother, watching as Hilary sat Alan on her lap and gave him a stern but loving look. "Alan, what have I told you about running around indoors?"

"Bad," Alan sniffled.

"Yes, and see what happened? You knocked your head," Hilary pushed back Alan's dark bangs to examine his forehead. "Are you okay, baby?"

"Uh huh," Alan slowly nodded.

"Do you need Mommy to kiss your ouchie?" Hilary smiled.

Again, Alan sniveled but nodded his head. Leaning forward, Hilary pressed her lips against the boy's forehead, kissing right where the small red mark was from where he'd hit his head on the table. "There. All better?"

"Yeah," Alan murmured.

"Okay," Hilary hugged the boy and turned him around so he was facing Vanessa. The little brunette was smiling at her brother, and blowing on a light blue noisemaker every few seconds. "Hey, that's a great idea, Vanessa!"

"I didn't say nothing," Vanessa blinked.

"You didn't have to," Hilary giggled. "Alan, I have a much better _and_ safer way for you to try and keep yourself awake than running around Grammy's house!"

"What?" Alan squeaked.

"You can play with these," Hilary pointed at the box full of noisemakers. Curious, Alan climbed off of Hilary's lap and peered into the box, reaching in and pulling out a red one. "See? Your favorite color! Just blow into it and make some noise!"

Alan stuck the noisemaker into his mouth and blew into the tube, creating a loud, squeaky sound that made him smile right away.

"Isn't that fun?" Hilary giggled.

"Yeah!" Alan nodded feverously before continuing to blow into the noisemaker along with his sister.

"Oh yeah, great idea, Hil," Tyson groaned as the sharp sounds filled the air.

"Be quiet, Tyson," Hilary narrowed her eyes. "It's better than having Alan run into furniture."

 **XXX**

By ten o'clock, Vanessa had already passed out. She slept soundly in Tyson's arms for a while, the Champion smiling and occasionally pressing his ear against the girl's snug, white pointelle top in order to listen to her heartbeat. He loved to listen to it; it was such a soothing sound.

"Tyson," Johanna smiled at her son in law, finally leading him to pick his head up, "I think Vanessa might be more comfortable if you put her down in the bed."

"Aww, but I love having my baby girl with me!" Tyson chuckled.

Alan, who was still very much awake at this point, was watching some kind of cartoon on the TV and being very loud while doing so. Obviously part of his attempts to stay awake.

"Well, you might want to put her in bed before all of Alan's noise wakes her up," Hilary suggested.

"Guess you're right," Tyson smiled sadly down at his daughter. He never liked being separated from her, even when it was just for her to go to bed. "Come on, little princess." He patted her leg, covered by turquoise fleece printed with white hearts, and stood up in order to bring her into one of the bedrooms upstairs for the night.

"So, Alan," Hilary turned her attention onto her son while Tyson was gone. "Are you getting sleepy yet?"

"Nope!" Alan happily shook his head.

"He seems pretty wide awake to me," Johanna giggled.

"I'm not going to sleep 'til _after_ midnight!" Alan stressed once again.

"My little man is so determined!" Hilary cooed, kneeling down to gently pinch her son's cheek.

" _Moooommy!_ " Alan whined, causing both her and Johanna to giggle.

 **XXX**

An hour and a half later, and it was 11:30. Alan was still awake. Tyson and Hilary were definitely surprised, to say the least.

"He's really putting up quite the fight, huh?" Tyson leaned into his wife.

"I'm impressed," Hilary giggled.

She and Tyson were sitting on the couch, watching the special New Year's Eve program and waiting for the ball to drop at midnight. Johanna was in the kitchen, preparing glasses of champagne for the big moment. Alan had been on the floor, playing with toys but he was now crawling over to the couch, stopping by his parents' feet and staring up at them.

"Hey there, champ!" Tyson smiled at his young son. "What's up?"

"I…," Alan let out a small yawn.

"Aw, my little baby," Hilary bustled, leaning down and gathering the young boy in her arms.

"I'm not a baby!" Alan refuted, jolting awake at such a suggestion.

"You'll always be my baby!" Hilary smiled into the boy's hair.

"No," Alan's voice began to grow sleepy again.

"Are you getting sleep there, little guy?" Tyson chuckled, rubbing the young boy's back.

"Nuh uh," Alan shook his head, which he was now resting against Hilary's chest. Smiling, Hilary started to thread Alan's midnight hair through her fingers, causing the boy to let out another yawn.

"You've only got ten more minutes, buddy!" Tyson commented as he glanced over towards the clock. "Think you can do it?"

"Yeah…" Alan mumbled, his voice barely audible.

When the one minute countdown to midnight started on the TV, Alan was still awake. Tyson couldn't deny that he was quite proud of his young son. He had set a goal, and he'd completed it! And at only five years old, too.

"He's a genius," Tyson beamed at his wife.

"I don't think completing your goals makes you a genius," Hilary eyed her husband with a mischievous glance. "Just really determined."

"Guess you're right," Tyson blushed, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's alright," Hilary smirked. "He's still a pretty smart little guy anyway!"

Finally, the clock struck midnight. The ball had dropped, and a new year had finally begun. Tyson and Hilary kissed as soon as it hit midnight; a well-known New Year's tradition. As soon as they separated, both young parents looked down at their son, who still had his head resting against Hilary's body.

"You did it, champ!" Tyson cheered. "You stayed awake 'til midnight!"

"You sure do know what you're talking about, huh?" Hilary giggled.

The only response they got from the boy was a soft little snore. Both Tyson and Hilary looked down, but couldn't see much because Alan's face was completely buried in Hilary's chest. As gently as she possibly could, Hilary turned Alan's head so they could see his face. What they were met with was closed eyes and a louder snore than before.

"He's…asleep," Hilary blinked.

"But he was just awake at 11:59," Tyson reasoned.

"He must have fallen asleep in the minute before the ball fell," Hilary looked up at Tyson, who seemed quite stunned.

"Well, at least he tried," Tyson finally smirked.

"Maybe next year, little guy," Hilary smiled, leaning back against the couch and hugging her sleeping son more tightly.


	36. Chapter 36- Darling Doctor

**Some shots will be focusing on Tammy now.**

* * *

"Oh no! Anothew ouchie."

Hilary furrowed her brow as she heard the sound of ripping. Glancing up from her magazine, she was alarmed to see a flimsy piece of white paper flittering through the air like a piece of confetti, landing listlessly on the floor in a pile with similar pieces.

"What did she do?" Hilary groaned, putting her magazine down and sliding off the bed.

She'd been in her room reading one of her monthly magazines when Tammy had come toddling in. With the kids out doing their own things, Hilary had assumed that the little girl was simply lonely, and looking for someone to play with. Hilary would have more than gladly put her magazine down to play with her daughter, but Tammy hadn't asked. Instead, she'd just gone into the bathroom. Hilary had checked on her a few times after that, but all Tammy had been doing was sitting in the middle of the floor, playing with her stuffed toy.

Now, however, it seemed that she was up to no good.

Poking her head into the bathroom, Hilary let out a sharp gasp, alarming Tammy. "Tam, what in the world did you do?!"

"Cubby had a ouchie!" Tammy replied, holding up her stuffed toy. It was covered in bandages, _real bandages_ , with their discarded wrappers and wax backs piled up behind the little girl.

"Sweetie, you shouldn't put band aids on a stuffed toy!" Hilary sighed, crouching down and tugging at the band aid that was splayed across the bear's forehead. "They're going to get stuck!"

"But Cubby had a ouchie," Tammy repeated.

"Apparently he had _lots_ of ouchies," Hilary sighed, looking the stuffed toy over. "How many band aids did you use?"

"I dunno," Tammy murmured.

Hilary caught sight of the band aid box on Tammy's other side. She reached over and picked it up, peering into the small box and finding just three wrapped band aids left.

"A lot of them," Hilary groaned, smacking her forehead. "Tammy, how many times has Mommy had to tell you not to waste these kinds of things? We need them in case somebody actually gets hurt!"

"I was payin- pwetend, Mommy," Tammy whined.

"I know you were," Hilary murmured. "You should have asked me to play! I would have played with you."

"Pway now?" Tammy asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, we'll play now," Hilary giggled. "What do you want to play?"

"Doctow!"

"Still, huh?"

"Ya."

"Okay, let's go play in the living room," Hilary decided. "I think that will be a lot easier than trying to play in the bathroom!"

Tammy nodded and jumped to her feet, scurrying out of the bathroom. Hilary made sure to keep close behind, not wanting Tammy to make any more of a mess than she already had. Fortunately, Tammy made it down to the living room without any other incidents, and quickly discarded her stuffed teddy on the floor.

"Tammy, don't throw your toys around!" Hilary gently scolded.

"Sit, Mommy!" Tammy urged, ignoring the warning.

Sighing, Hilary shuffled over to the couch and sat down, watching as Tammy climbed up next to her, a toy stethoscope around her neck.

"-eck up time!" Tammy announced, pressing the end of the stethoscope against Hilary's chest.

"What are you listening for?" Hilary asked sweetly.

"Heawt!"

"Oh, okay."

Hilary sat patiently, watching as Tammy moved the toy stethoscope around. She climbed up onto Hilary's lap, sitting on her knees so that she was face to face with her mother, still "listening" to her heartbeat. Hilary raised an eyebrow until Tammy's head snapped up and their eyes were locked, greatly alarming Hilary.

" _Gah!_ " Hilary shrieked.

"Mommy, you'ew sick!" Tammy cried.

"What?" Hilary deadpanned.

"You'ew vewy sick," Tammy repeated, lowering the stethoscope. "I cuwe you!"

"What am I sick with?" Hilary asked as Tammy clambered off her lap. "It sounds so serious!"

"I dunno!" Tammy whined, shoving at her mother's midsection. "Down!"

"Huh?"

"Down! Now!"

"Oh, you want me to lie down," Hilary breathed, quickly obliging. "Next time, ask nicer, Tam."

"Nuh uh," Tammy refuted. "You'we vewy sick. You hafta –isten!"

"Okay, okay," Hilary hushed, lying back on the couch. She turned her head and watched Tammy rummage through a box full of toys, intently looking for something. Sighing peacefully, Hilary turned her gaze up onto the ceiling, staring at the white paint. She supposed this wasn't _so_ bad. Sure, she had no idea what Tammy had up her sleeve, but at least she got to lounge around a bit. Playing a game where she got to lie on the couch couldn't be _so_ bad, after all.

"-ot!"

"OW!" Hilary's peace was quickly disrupted as she jumped to a sitting position, grasping her upper arm with the opposite hand. "Tammy!"

The little girl slowly tilted her head to the side. "Wha-?"

"What did you just do?" Hilary asked gently, trying to keep her voice level.

"-ot!" Tammy reiterated, holding up a plastic replica of a needle.

"Oh, you gave me a shot," Hilary replied dully. "You know, Tam, if a _real_ doctor gave someone a _real_ shot that hard, they'd probably get fired."

"But I pway pwetend!" Tammy crowed. "Isn't weal, Mommy."

"Well that jab definitely was," Hilary grumbled, rubbing the afflicted spot.

"I gotsta check, Mommy," Tammy announced, trying to climb back onto the couch.

Hilary sighed and lifted the child up, ending her struggle. "Check what, sprinkle?"

The toddler wordlessly pointed up towards her mother's head. Hilary knew this was playtime, but she also saw it as an opportunity to help her daughter learn.

"What are you pointing at, Tam?" Hilary asked. "Could you tell me?"

"-ead," Tammy answered, patting her own forehead.

"Oh, okay," Hilary breathed, bending over to get closer to the toddler. "You can check my head, then."

Tammy pressed a small hand against Hilary's forehead, and after a short moment of contemplation, let out a frustrated whine.

"What is it?" Hilary asked quite seriously.

"You'we still sick," Tammy murmured sadly.

"Oh no," Hilary breathed, frowning afterwards.

"Now you'we _mowe_ sick."

" _More_ sick?" Hilary repeated.

Tammy frowned and nodded sadly.

"This is bad," Hilary sighed, placing a hand against her cheek. "What else can you do for me, Doctor Tam?"

Tammy pursed her lips in thought. As she contemplated, Tyson walked through the front door, smiling as he saw the two on the couch.

"Aw, there are my pretty girls!" Tyson chuckled, walking over to them. He held his arms out to pick up Tammy, but the toddler had other plans.

"No, Daddy!" Tammy cried, shaking her head.

"Huh?" Tyson murmured. "How come you don't want me to pick you up, pumpkin?"

"Mommy's vewy sick," Tammy informed her father. Tyson shot Hilary an alarmed look, causing her to let out a long sigh before shaking her head. That was all Tyson needed to understand that Tammy was just playing pretend.

"Oh," Tyson breathed, tapping his chin. "Well, uh…that's no good. We have to help her, right?"

Tammy nodded her head rapidly.

"What do we have to do?" Tyson asked.

The young girl glanced between her father and mother, looking at them both for a few moments before declaring, "kiss!"

"What?" Tyson murmured.

"Daddy, kiss Mommy," Tammy instructed, pointing at her mother.

"Why?" Tyson questioned.

"What's the matter, Tysony?" Hilary teased. "Don't wanna kiss me?"

His cheeks flashed red, causing Hilary to giggle.

"You save Mommy," Tammy explained. "Wif a kiss!"

Hilary stopped her giggling and once again looked at Tyson, raising an eyebrow. This was an unusual request from the girl. She normally didn't like her parents showing affection for one another; she didn't like being left out. It was one of her more difficult phases, and now Hilary couldn't quite understand why her daughter suddenly _wanted_ them to show affection.

"That's the only way Daddy can save me?" Hilary asked her daughter.

Tammy wordlessly nodded her head, pressing her lips into a tight line. The brunette looked up at her still flustered husband, fluttering her eyelashes. "What do you say, Tyson? You willing to save me?"

Tyson's blush dissipated as he smiled at his wife, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss against her lips. He would've _loved_ to kiss her more passionately, but Tyson didn't want to push Tammy too far. After a few seconds, Tyson pulled away, gently touching his wife's jaw as his smile returned.

"Yay!" Tammy cheered, breaking her parents out of their trance. "Daddy saveded Mommy!"

"Heh, happy to do it!" Tyson replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Tammy giggled and clapped her hands together. "I'ma good doctow!"

Tyson chuckled and finally picked his young daughter up, giving her her own kiss on the cheek. "Yep, the very best!"


	37. Chapter 37- Soap Addiction

Basically everyone has at least one guilty pleasure they're not too proud to admit they have. For some people, it's enjoying food that isn't necessarily good for you. For others, it's playing video games often thought of for kids.

For Hilary, it was watching cheesy, dramatic soap operas.

In all fairness, she hadn't electively chosen to begin watching them. When she and Tyson were living together, she watched them every single day. Hilary generally just tuned them out, but once it got to the point where she'd become super pregnant and confined to bed rest, she much preferred to be downstairs with her mother rather than upstairs and alone, which pretty much forced her to begin paying attention to the TV.

"This is a little much, isn't it?" Hilary wondered aloud after one of the characters tossed a drink in the face of another character….

"Yes, more often than not it gets a bit silly," Johanna agreed, folding a shirt and placing it in the laundry basket next to her.

"So how come you like watching it so much?" Hilary asked before gasping and covering her mouth. "I'm sorry, that came out way ruder than I meant it to!"

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear," Johanna scoffed. "It's a perfectly valid question! Honestly, they're just really addictive. You can't help but to wonder what's going to happen next, no matter how crazy and unrealistic the story is."

Hilary twisted her mouth as she considered Johanna's reply. "That actually makes sense." She turned back towards the TV, resting one hand on her large belly. "So why's that girl so mad?"

"That girl is Emilia, and she just found out that her husband cheated on her with her sister…well, her half-sister, Leesha," Johanna explained.

"That's so messy," Hilary breathed.

"It's ridiculous, but the husband certainly is good looking," Johanna sighed. "She just couldn't stay away."

Hilary blinked and tilted her head. "So like…where does she even go from here? What does she do with her husband? Kill him or something?"

"Wouldn't be the first time on this show," Johanna noted. Hilary's eyes widened as she snapped her head towards her mother, waiting for her to say she was joking. When Johanna realized Hilary was giving her that look, however, she simply hummed and continued, "That's really happened before. More than once, actually."

"This is actually insane," Hilary commented.

"Now you see why I can't stop watching this nonsense," Johanna agreed.

"It's so dumb, but it's like…I need to know what happens next!" Hilary cried. "That trashy husband of hers better get what for! And her trashy half-sister too. A glass full of cocktail to the face isn't enough."

Johanna smirked and cast the laundry basket aside. "Well, if you're going to get sucked into this train wreck too, might as well catch you up on the history of the whole thing."

 **XXX**

And so, ever since then, Hilary had religiously watched _Days of Our Lives_ every single day. She was not proud of this fact, however, and did not admit it to _anyone_ …not even her husband. It had been that way for nearly seven years and she certainly wasn't about to change that fact.

Well…wasn't _planning_ on it, at least.

After successfully putting her children down for a nap, Hilary made her way downstairs with the intent of watching her (secretly beloved) drama. She was taken off guard, however, when she found Tyson sitting on the couch with the television remote in his hand.

"Tyson!" Hilary hissed, covering her heart. "When did you get home?!"

"Uh…like 15 minutes ago," Tyson replied.

"And you came in that quietly?" Hilary asked, hardly believing it.

"I guess so," Tyson murmured, shrugging his shoulders. "But…probably not. You normally hear me, so you must've been pretty busy or something. Where were you?"

"Trying to get all three of our kids to nap at once," Hilary grumbled.

"Wow, that's basically impossible," Tyson marveled. "Did it work?"

"Surprisingly enough, yes," Hilary sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Took me _forever_ though."

"You seem kind of tired yourself," Tyson observed. "Maybe you should take a nap, too!"

"It's not a bad idea, but I think I'd rather just relax for a bit," Hilary sighed, sinking down beside her husband.

"Sounds good to me!" Tyson chuckled. "I'll even put on a show for you!"

"What show?" Hilary questioned, not thinking anything of it.

"I don't know, whatever it is you have saved in your folder here," Tyson replied.

Hilary jumped straight up, her hands scrambling to grip the couch. "What folder?!"

"This one that I found on the TV hidden behind like three other folders," Tyson answered as though it should have been obvious.

Hilary's entire face involuntarily turned red. "Wh-why are you snooping around like that?!"

Tyson blinked. "How come you're so worked up over it?"

"Because you're digging into my private stuff!" Hilary howled.

Tyson stayed silent for a moment before warily responding, "I feel like you're hiding something from me."

"I'm not," Hilary grumbled unconvincingly, her face still red.

Tyson, of course, wasn't convinced and clicked the final folder. Hilary unleashed a horrified squeal and jumped on top of him, trying to snatch the remote from his hands. Tyson grunted and tried to shoulder her off, which did him no good.

"Hil, what's gotten into you," Tyson muttered.

"Don't you _dare_ open that folder, Tyson Granger!" Hilary warned.

"oops…too late," Tyson deadpanned.

Hilary's eyes widened as her head snapped up to look at the TV. A seemingly never ending list of the same title over and over again graced it, causing Hilary to groan and sink down until her face was buried between her husband's neck and shoulder.

" _Days of Our Lives_?" Tyson read, furrowing his brow. "What's this, some kind of documentary about Beybladers and Bitbeasts?"

Hilary only responded with a huff, which Tyson decided to take as a yes.

"Oh, well, that's no big deal!" Tyson chuckled. "I thought this thing was gonna be full of shows with half naked guys."

Hilary sighed and didn't bother to pick her head up. Tyson clicked on the remote again, starting the first episode on the list. As soon as Hilary heard the melodic theme song, she picked her head right back up and gasped.

"Why'd you turn it on?!" Hilary cried, reaching for the remote once more.

"Hil, chill!" Tyson laughed, holding the remote above his head. "I don't know why you're being so weird about having a bunch of documentaries recorded. I'll watch these with you!"

Once the theme song ended, a strange sound emitted from the TV, causing Tyson to raise an eyebrow. Hilary caught sight of the screen and squeaked, covering her face with her hands.

Tyson pursed his lips and slowly turned towards the TV. "Hey, that kind of sounds like when we…" His eyes widened, and he whipped his head back towards Hilary. "How come people are making out on a documentary about Beyblades?!"

"It's not a Beyblade documentary!" Hilary finally stormed.

Tyson remained silent for a moment before humming thoughtfully. "Well that makes a lot more sense." He looked over at the TV again and watched for a few more seconds before realizing, "hey, wait a sec. Your mom watches this show! Isn't this that-"

"Dumb, cheesy, overdramatic soap opera?" Hilary finished for him. "Yes. It is."

"She's watched this everytime I would pick you up," Tyson mused. "She never answered me and her eyes were glued to the TV.I always thought it seemed like a pretty weird show. So…you like it too?"

Hilary hesitated for a moment before tensely replying, "I guess you could say that."

"How come you hid it behind all these folders?" Tyson asked.

"Because it's embarrassing," Hilary replied, apparently shocked he even had to ask.

"It's not embarrassing," Tyson chuckled. "It's just a show!"

"Yeah, a dumb show," Hilary grumbled.

"But you just said you like it," Tyson reasoned with her.

" _Technically_ I didn't say that," Hilary corrected him. "I said I _guess_ you could say I like it. Not that I _do_ like it."

"Right…" Tyson drawled. "Well, you have to _kind of_ like it to have this many episodes of it recorded."

"It's just addictive, that's all!" Hilary cried. "Even mom says that! You can't stop watching because you get sucked into it. It's really more of a hostage situation than anything."

There was a beat of silence. Then Tyson burst out into laughter, much to Hilary's annoyance.

"What's so funny?!" She demanded.

"You're coming up with so many excuses about liking this show," Tyson snickered. "It's _really_ not a big deal, Hil."

"Well, it is to me!" Hilary growled, jumping to her feet as she began to pace the floor. "There's a stereotype that goes with those dumb shows! And the stereotype is that they're only watched by bored housewives with nothing better to do. I will _not_ be viewed as a stereotypical housewife!"

"Hey, I don't think of you like that," Tyson tried, nervously waving his hands in front of him. "You're _way_ more than just a housewife. It's just one of the many reasons I love you so much!"

"Oh, Tyson, I know that you know that," Hilary breathed, settling down enough to walk back over to him and sit on his lap. "I just don't want _other_ people thinking it."

Tyson smiled against the back of Hilary's ribs and wrapped his arms around her. "No one's gonna think anything. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks," Hilary murmured.

"So…since I now know this _isn't_ a Beyblade documentary, can we watch something else?" Tyson asked sheepishly.

Hilary smirked and shook her head. "Absolutely."

 **XXX**

"The baby is totally Steven's."

"No way! It's got to be Jonathon's."

"Why? It'd be so much more dramatic if it was Steven's!"

"Yeah but if it _is_ then Ali and Jonathon will break up, and they can't just break up one of the best couples on the show!"

"But they always do that!"

"Yeah, but Ali and Jonathon are different."

"They've already broken up like…twice."

"I know, but-"

" _Ahem._ "

Emily and Julia looked across the table, where Hilary was shooting them an unimpressed look.

"Oops," Emily murmured before genuinely apologizing, "sorry about that, Hilary."

"Yeah, we keep forgetting you don't watch _Days of our Lives_ ," Julia added. "Even though you totally should! It's _so_ good."

"That's what you both keep telling me," Hilary sighed, picking up her menu to peruse it.

Emily and Julia had been watching the show since they were teenagers, but they had no idea Hilary watched it as well, and she'd been insistent on keeping it that way. They frequently got swept up in discussing the latest episodes and their little theories, and apparently called each other over the phone weekly to do just that. Still, when the three women had arranged to meet up for lunch, Hilary hadn't really expected to get caught in the middle of one of their chats.

"I just keep thinking…what if Bruno reveals Ali's secret about knowing who stole Rod's beloved watch?" Emily continued in a hushed tone.

"He would never," Julia refuted, reaching for her iced tea. "He's her uncle! And she's his favorite niece!"

"Anything is possible if Dr. Gaines breaks out his watch to hypnotize," Emily mused. "And he and Bruno have been having that feud for _years!_ He'd do anything to tick him off, and going after Ali totally qualifies."

"Please, Dr. Gaines will figure out the father of her baby," Julia scoffed.

Hilary just peered over the top of her menu with narrowed eyes. "Really?"

The two other women quickly looked just as guilty as they had before.

"We just keep getting carried away," Emily sighed, shaking her head.

"It's because it's _so good_ ," Julia groaned. "Hilary, seriously, you should watch it. Just try one episode!"

"No thanks, I'm alright," Hilary plainly replied, finally putting down her menu to take a sip of her water.

"Oh but the guys are _so hot_ ," Emily sighed, fluttering her eyelashes.

Hilary smirked at the orange haired nerd. "Hotter than Kenny?"

Emily's face flashed red and she glanced up towards the ceiling. "No comment."

Emily remained silent for a moment before contemplating, "what if Bruno secretly wants to expose Ali because he knows she's a threat to the family business? After all, her father, ya know, Bruno's half-brother-"

Hilary slammed her menu down and glared at a startled Emily. "Just because Bruno and Daniel don't get along doesn't mean he'll get Ali in trouble! She's literally the only thing related to Daniel he cares about; he's not risking that."

Both Julia and Emily's jaws dropped following Hilary's outburst. Hilary kept the aggravated look on her face…until she realized what she'd just done. Once that hit her, her eyes widened and she smacked her hands against her head. "Oh no."

Emily and Julia slowly turned towards Hilary. Finally, Julia managed to ask, "you…already watch _Days of our Lives_ , don't you?"

Hilary remained silent for a long minute before admitting, "…Maybe."

Emily's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you just say so in the first place?! You could've totally joined in on our phone calls!"

"Because I don't like to admit that I actually watch it," Hilary grumbled, lowering her hands. "I mean, Tyson _literally_ just found out about it and we've been married for seven years."

"Wow, that's some dedication to hiding it," Emily breathed, sounding genuinely impressed.

"It's such a dumb show," Hilary muttered, shaking her head as she took a sip of water.

Now Julia was even more confused. "Wait, if you think it's so dumb, why do you watch it?"

"Because I can't stop," Hilary plainly replied, putting her glass down. "It's _so_ stupid, but it's _so_ addictive. How am I supposed to stop watching after all of those crazy cliffhangers they give you? It's like a crazy deep spiral I can't get myself out of. Or a really grizzly train wreck that you just can't look away from, no matter how bad you want to."

Julia still seemed perplexed, but Emily was just happy that one of her best friends was actually into the same show as her after thinking she'd never even seen it _and_ constantly begging for her to get into it. "So does this mean you'll join in our phone discussions _now?_ "

Hilary grimaced at the idea. "Emily, it's already bad enough I owned up to watching this nonsense. I don't need to feel any worse about it."

Emily pouted at Hilary's dismissal of the idea. "But it'd be _so much fun_ for all of us to talk about the wedding next week!"

Hilary sighed and rolled her eyes. It was so hard to say no to Emily for some reason. "Fine. But just next week. Then I'm out!"

Emily quickly nodded her head before leaning into Julia once Hilary picked her menu back up. "We're so gonna rope her in."

"Oh, absolutely," Julia assured the brunette. "If Hilary thinks she can get out of those calls now that we know her dirty little secret, she's out of her mind."


	38. Chapter 38- A Day in Life of Parenting

Vanessa grimaced as her father roughly pulled her bright auburn hair back. He wasn't doing it on purpose, and certainly wasn't meaning to hurt her. He didn't even know, in fact. Vanessa didn't want to say anything. She was still pretty young, but she worried about upsetting people, _especially_ her father. He was really sweet and loved her so much, and the thought of hurting his feelings made Vanessa feel really bad. Besides, all he was trying to do was put her hair in a ponytail. He said he could. Hilary had seemed wary, but Tyson insisted it was easy.

"I've seen you do it a hundred times," Tyson had assured his unsure wife. "I can put Vanessa's hair up no problem!"

Tyson was usually a very gentle brusher, so Vanessa didn't think it would be so bad. As it would turn out, however, Tyson seemed to think that when it came to forming the actual ponytail, he needed to pull her hair back as tightly as he could. Which, naturally, was hurting the little girl.

"Almost finished!" Tyson crowed, causing Vanessa to quietly sigh in relief.

He gave her hair another yank, enough to pull Vanessa back as her eyes widened. She felt him wrapping the elastic around her hair, and within a matter of seconds, his hands had released her newly formed ponytail.

"There, all set," Tyson breathed. "I think it looks great!"

Vanessa got to her feet and scurried over to a nearby mirror, gazing at her reflection. The ponytail her father had made was pulled almost comically high and set too far to the side. If she moved her head a certain way, it would swing right in front of her eye, blocking her vision.

"How's it going in-oh, no. That's not happening."

Tyson groaned as Hilary walked into the room, Vanessa lifting her head up to watch as her mother approached her.

"What's wrong with it?" Tyson demanded.

"That's not a practical hairstyle, Tyson," Hilary sighed. "It's hanging in Vanessa's face!"

"I didn't think it was so bad…" Tyson grumbled.

Hilary looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "You tried your best. I appreciate it! You just need a little more practice is all."

Tyson finally dropped his pout and returned Hilary's smile. "Alright. Guess you'll have to give me some more!"

"Gladly," Hilary giggled. "Why don't you go check on Alan for me? I think he might need some help with brushing his teeth."

"If by 'help' you mean 'forcing,' then sure," Tyson replied wisely, getting to his feet. "That I can do!"

Hilary nodded as he left the room, gently pulling the elastic out of Vanessa's hair. The little girl's bright locks fell to her shoulders, the pressure in her head instantly dissipating.

"This was in so tight…" Hilary muttered, glancing at the elastic. "Was that ponytail hurting you, Vanessa?"

The girl quickly nodded her head, causing her mother to frown. "Why didn't you tell Daddy?"

"I didn't wanna make him feel bad, Mommy," Vanessa squeaked.

"It's not hurtful if it's the truth," Hilary patiently reminded her daughter.

"I guess," Vanessa murmured. "But still…I don't ever wanna make Daddy feel bad!"

"Aw," Hilary crooned, kneeling down and pulling Vanessa into a hug. "You're such a sweet little girl! Much sweeter than Mommy was…" Hilary pulled away and beamed at her pleased looking child. "You really are my little dream, Vanny."

Vanessa giggled at her mother's comment, not fully comprehending it. Hilary seemed to understand that, and gave Vanessa a quick kiss on the forehead before turning the girl around so she could get to work on a new, neater ponytail.

"We have a lot to do today," Hilary reminded her daughter, gently brushing the girl's hair. "Right? We have to go to the farmer's market, find some new sneakers for you and Alan, visit the Spare Parts shop-"

"Is Daddy coming?" Vanessa interrupted.

Hilary smiled sadly at the inquiry. "No, Daddy has to work."

"Oh," Vanessa mumbled, frowning.

"Don't worry," Hilary promised. "You'll see him tonight! Daddy promised me he'd come home early so we could all have dinner together and play for a bit. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Vanessa nodded her head, resisted slightly by her mother pulling her hair up.

"And I already took a break for the day," Hilary continued, finishing up Vanessa's ponytail and spinning the girl back around. "No one is going to take me away from my babies today!"

Vanessa giggled and threw herself onto her mother's lap, gleefully gazing up at the woman.

"Alright, you silly little thing," Hilary teased, picking Vanessa up by her sides so her crochet trimmed, mint green tank top rose up to reveal her belly button. Once she stood the girl up, Hilary pulled down her shirt and continued, "We have to get a move on! Should we go see if Daddy got Alan to brush his teeth?"

"Yeah!" Vanessa laughed wildly, excited by the prospect that her little brother might be causing trouble. Hilary smirked and stood back up, walking out of Vanessa's bedroom as the girl trailed her. They both stopped at the open doorway of the bathroom across the hall, peering in just in time to see Tyson wiping at Alan's face with a dry wash cloth.

"Oh, you succeeded!" Hilary crowed.

Tyson narrowed his eyes as he glanced over at Hilary. "I think it might be easier to cage fight a tiger than getting Alan to brush his teeth."

The young boy grabbed at the wash cloth with his little hands and yanked it away from his face, tilting his head back to look up at his father. "No fun, Daddy!"

"Neither is having your teeth rot out of your head," Tyson teased, gently poking Alan's nose.

"Hawwy haw a tooth fall out, but it wasn't…um…wotteded," Alan replied, watching as his father placed his small red toothbrush back in its holder.

"Well yeah, it's okay if your tooth falls out naturally," Tyson chuckled. "But if it falls out because you didn't care of it, that's not good!"

"Oh, okay," Alan chirped before taking a flying leap off of his step stool. "Mommy, am I gonna get new fneakewf?"

"You mean sneakers? Yes, you are," Hilary confirmed, smirking when she saw Tyson's stunned face.

"How come I can't keep mine?" Alan asked, tilting his head.

"Because they have holes in them," Hilary explained. "Remember your toe started sticking out of one?"

Alan laughed at the memory. "Uh huh! That was funny!"

"Yeah, hilarious," Hilary snickered. "Come on, let's go downstairs and get ready to head out."

Alan squeezed past her and started chasing after Vanessa, who shrieked loudly and started to run herself. Hilary sighed tiredly and whipped around, watching the two over her shoulder. "Don't run down the stairs! I don't want either of you falling and getting hurt!"

Tyson chuckled and strode up to Hilary, playfully winking at her. "They'll be fine! They run down those stairs without a problem all the time."

"That doesn't mean I want them to do it!" Hilary groaned. "All it takes is one slip…"

"Might as well trail them then," Tyson replied, shuffling sideways to pass Hilary. "I'm probably running late at this point."

"You're going to tell me they're not used to that by now?" Hilary quipped, walking back into the hallway.

"They are," Tyson refuted. "But I at least try my best to be on time after a weekend. Then I just look _really_ lazy."

The young couple made their way down the stairs, which Alan and Vanessa had already managed to do without incident.

"Whoa, lots of energy in here," Tyson whistled. "I hate to interrupt playtime, but we're going to be later for work," Tyson sighed.

They both whined in disappointment, causing their father to frown.

"I'm really sorry, guys," Tyson apologized. "I know how much fun you were having! But you can play again once I come home tonight."

Neither kid seemed placated with that arrangement. Tyson still felt guilty for breaking up the game, even though he really didn't have a choice. Hilary, however, was keen to her husband's feelings, and quickly stepped in.

"Don't worry, we have to get going too!" Hilary reassured the pouty kids. "And the quicker we get all of our errands done, the sooner we can go to the bakery and get some cookies!"

 _That_ perked the kids up. With high pitched giggles, the two of them bustled towards the front door, grabbing a hold of their shoes and dropping to the floor in order to put them on.

"You sure know how to get them to cooperate," Tyson laughed.

"It's easy enough to figure out," Hilary calmly replied, although she was sporting a rather boastful smirk. "They're your children, so a good way to get to their hearts _or_ their heads is through their stomachs."

"Really?" Tyson sounded incredulous. "Even Vanessa?"

"She may be a dainty eater, but she's still a kid," Hilary giggled. "She can't turn down things like sweets!"

"Mommy, I'm gonna weaw these!"

Hilary turned her head and grimaced as soon as she saw that Alan was holding up his ratty blue and black sneakers.

"No, Alan, those are destroyed, you can't wear them," Hilary groaned. "That's why we're going to get you new ones."

"Buf I like them," Alan droned.

"I know you do, but they're falling apart," Hilary reasoned with him. "Give me those. You'll just wear sandals for now."

Frowning, Alan trudged over to his mother and reluctantly handed over the worn sneakers. Hilary thanked him before he headed back towards the front door, and then held up the sneakers to examine them. They were, just as Hilary had said, completely trashed: dirty and covered in holes. The bottom of one sneaker was even beginning to tear away from the rest of the shoe.

"I feel like I have to buy Alan a new pair of sneakers every three months," Hilary grumbled. "I can't tell if it's because they're making these things flimsier, or if he's just that rough on them."

"Probably a combination of both," Tyson chuckled. "I went through a lot of sneakers as a kid too, but not nearly as many as Alan does."

Before either Tyson or Hilary could process it, the kids had managed to pull their sandals on, and both were reaching up for the doorknob, trying to pull the door open.

"Alright, looks like you're both raring to go!" Tyson remarked, regaining Alan and Vanessa's attention and earning big grins from the two of them. "Guess we can all walk out together."

"Sounds good to me!" Hilary chirped.

Tyson reached forward and unlocked the front door, pulling his hand back as Alan quickly grabbed for the doorknob and began twisting it open.

"I got it!" Alan called as the door swung open. He and Vanessa both ran outside, bolting down the walkway as they overflowed with excitement.

Hilary exhaled and she tilted her head back. "I have a feeling this is going to be a _long_ day."

"Yeah, but you got it," Tyson replied. "I believe in you!"

Hilary scoffed, but still showed off a smile. "Alright, you'd better get going. Or else Dickerson will have your head."

Instead of firing back with his own comment, Tyson bent down and gave Hilary a kiss. Once they separated, he looked towards the kids and called, "you two behave for Mommy, alright?"

They nodded excitedly, causing Tyson to laugh. "Great! See you guys later!"

"Later," Hilary replied, watching as Tyson walked towards the car. She then moved closer to the kids, who were standing hand-in-hand and chattering away to one another. "You guys ready to get some stuff done?"

"Yeah!" They both cheered.

"Good energy!" Hilary complimented, placing her hands on her hips. "Let's see how long that lasts…"


	39. Chapter 39- Valentine

**Sorry for the late update. Was out of town and didn't have my laptop with me. Had wrote this one in the first week of Feb. Loaded with fluff and cuteness….**

* * *

"Thanks, Joseph!"

Tyson gave a single wave to the young man outside his house before closing the door behind him. It was times like these that he was really grateful the BBA had so many interns working for them. Tyson normally wouldn't have asked any of them to run an errand like this, but his day was going to be tight, and he had to make absolutely certain to shower Hilary with affection before it got too crazy.

In his hands, he held Joseph's special delivery: a dozen bright red roses intermixed with white baby's breath, a bouquet of colorful balloons, and a heart shaped box of chocolates.

Sure, it was a little cliché, but Tyson felt "it's the thought that counts" really applied here. Besides, he mostly wanted to show Hilary that he loved her and that he _hadn't_ forgotten it was their wedding anniversary/Valentine's Day. He'd treat her something to more unique once work settled down.

The first thing he saw when he walked into the kitchen was Hilary, and instantly, his whole face lit up. He had tried to time the delivery perfectly, and it had worked!

"Hey, Hilary," Tyson greeted smoothly.

Hilary's ears perked. "Oh, there you are! I was wondering where you-"

She trailed off once she looked over her shoulder and saw Tyson with his armful of gifts. As soon as Tyson saw her look of surprise, he laughed heartily and stepped further into the kitchen.

"I just wanted to give you a little anniversary surprise before I had to spend the entire day at the Headquarters," Tyson explained, holding the gifts out towards his wife.

"Tyson, this is so sweet!" Hilary crooned, turning away from the sink to take the roses from him. "These are beautiful."

"The chocolates are a little bigger than I was expecting, but that's okay," Tyson commented. "Just means we can share them, right?"

"Maybe," Hilary teased, winking at her smirking husband.

"You think you can eat this whole thing by yourself?" Tyson laughed, holding up the heart shaped box.

"I _know_ I can," Hilary challenged, her eyes glinting with mischievousness. "But really, I love this. All of this. Thank you."

She rose up on her toes to give Tyson a delicate kiss on the lips. He smiled against it before she pulled away, placing the flowers on the counter.

"I have to get a vase for these," Hilary breathed, gently touching one of the rose's petals. "I want to make sure they fully bloom! If they're this beautiful now, I can only imagine how pretty they'll be once they open up all the way."

"You really love those flowers," Tyson noted. "Maybe I should've gotten you some more of those instead of the chocolate!"

"Oh no, I appreciate the chocolate too," Hilary assured him, turning back around to take the box herself. "I think I might have to break some rules and eat one after breakfast."

"Whose rules are those?" Tyson laughed. "Not mine, that's for sure! And only one? In _this_ house? That's like…shameful."

"Hush, I'm trying to be good," Hilary snickered, placing the box of chocolates beside the roses. "You know, not overloading myself on sugar before 9 A.M."

"Well that's no fun," Tyson badgered, earning a smirk and a shrug from his wife.

"Most things that are considered 'good for you' aren't," Hilary reasoned with him.

"Good point," Tyson relented, smirking at her.

Hilary giggled and turned her head so her hair settled on her shoulder. "I should go get the kids down here. They'll probably start a riot if they don't get their special Valentine's Day breakfast ASAP."

"I can get them," Tyson offered.

"No, it's fine," Hilary assured him. "You've got a long day of work ahead of you. You should take the time to relax while you can."

"Hil, it's not that big of a deal for me to wrangle them up," Tyson chuckled.

"And it's no big deal for me to do it either," Hilary calmly argued. "Sit down and get ready for breakfast."

Just as Hilary was about to head for the stairs, however, the sound of shrieking caused her and Tyson to freeze.

"Was that a _good_ sound or a _bad_ sound?" Tyson asked.

"I _think_ good, but to be honest I can't tell half the time," Hilary practically whispered. "Is it bad to admit that as a mother?"

"Considering I'm a father and I don't know, no," Tyson answered.

Alan and Vanessa came bustling into the kitchen with big smiles on their faces. Tammy, who was in Vanessa's arms, looked a little confused by her older siblings' jubilation.

"Okay, it was good," Hilary sighed, smiling herself as she covered her heart. "I'm assuming you two are so happy because it's Valentine's Day?"

"You bet!" the eldest confirmed.

"We want waffles!" Alan laughed.

"Ah, well, that can be arranged," Hilary teased with a light laugh. "They're pretty much ready to be eaten! Why don't you all sit down while I get everything together?"

"Okay!" The Kids chimed simultaneously.

"Here Vanny, I'll take your little sister from ya," Tyson chuckled, bending down to lift the toddler out of the older girl's grasp. "Not so easy putting this squirmy kid in her high chair!"

"Thanks, Dad!" Vanessa giggled, scurrying over to the table.

Tyson, meanwhile, smiled at the toddler in his arms and gently touched their noses. "Hi, pumpkin."

Tammy giggled and buried her hands in his hair, gently tugging at his raven blue locks.

"You are so cute!" Tyson laughed, walking over to the table and placing the toddler in her high chair. He was a bit surprised she hadn't put up a fight (Tammy was not a big fan of high chairs in general) but decided to just be grateful that she hadn't.

"Alright! Who's ready for Valentine's Day breakfast?"

Alan and Vanessa both began to eagerly clamor, earning a bewildered look from their little sister. Tyson chuckled and sat down beside his youngest daughter, glancing over at her confused face.

"You're going to like this, Tam," Tyson assured the toddler. "Mommy's special Valentine's Day breakfast is so yummy!"

"Yum?" Tammy squeaked.

"Yeah, really yummy," Tyson laughed. "Just wait until you try it!"

Hilary gave everyone at the table their own plate, filled up by a heart-shaped waffle topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Alan and Vanessa wasted no time digging in, but Tammy simply watched them with very intent eyes.

"She's always so fascinated by her big brother and sister," Hilary giggled, taking her seat on the other side of Tammy. "Come on, sweetie, let's try yours! You can go slower than Al and Vanny, okay?"

Tammy patiently nodded her head. "Go –ow."

"Yeah, go slow," Hilary laughed, cutting off a small piece of the waffle. "Open up!"

The toddler opened her mouth wide and ate the piece of waffle off the fork. Almost instantly, her face lit up, causing both of her parents to laugh gleefully.

"I think she likes it," Tyson commented.

"Yum!" Tammy shrieked laughingly.

"Yep, she does," Hilary giggled.

"Yeah, cause they're so good!" Alan exclaimed. "This is the very best part of Valentine's Day!"

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "I thought you liked the candy."

"Oh yeah, that too."

Tyson chuckled. "What about the actual love stuff?"

Alan pulled a disgusted face. "No way, that's gross!"

Hilary smiled sweetly at her son's comment. "Alan, you won't think it's gross when you get older and you like a pretty girl!"

Alan grimaced. "I don't think so."

Tyson smirked. "Yeah, I said the same thing, champ."

Alan furrowed his brow as he swallowed another bite of his waffle. "Mom sure got you good."

Hilary nearly spit out her own bite and had to cover her mouth as she tried to compose herself. Tyson sighed tiredly and turned his glare onto Hilary, who finally managed to swallow her food.

"I can't help it, that was funny," Hilary muttered, sheepishly cutting off more waffle to feed to Tammy.

"Yeah, hilarious," Tyson quipped, though his lips were bending back into a smile.

Once everyone had finished up their breakfast, Hilary busied herself with doing the dishes while the kids scurried off to play. Tyson, meanwhile, knew he was meant to be leaving for work, but he wasn't in any sort of rush.

"I don't think it's very fair that I have to go to work today," Tyson declared.

"Oh, no?" Hilary teased.

"No," Tyson grumbled. "And I _tried_ to take off, but Dickerson guilt tripped me into working because there's so much to do!"

"Why is there so much to do anyway?" Hilary questioned, arching an eyebrow. "The New York Conference was a _month_ ago, and the Barcelona Conference isn't for another two months. Shouldn't it be pretty quiet up at the Headquarters right now?"

"Wish I knew," Tyson groaned.

"Why don't you ask?" Hilary prodded.

"Because I'm pretty sure I'll get an answer I don't wanna hear," Tyson chuckled lowly. "Sometimes I think it's better to just play dumb."

Hilary thought about that for a moment before deciding, "That's actually pretty smart of you, Tyson."

"Thanks!" Tyson chirped. "Wait…what do you mean 'pretty smart'?"

Unbeknownst to the two adults in the room, their youngest child had come toddling back into the kitchen, her bright green eyes locked on the counter. She scurried over to it, small and quiet enough that she went completely unnoticed. With just a few jumps, she managed to knock down the flowers and grab a hold of the balloon, which finally got the attention of her parents.

"Tam!" Tyson gasped once he realized the toddler was there.

Tammy, in turn, giggled and shuffled past her father. Tyson blinked, watching the little girl as she teetered away.

"What's in her hands?" Tyson muttered.

Hilary blinked and looked over towards their young daughter, trying to get a better look. When she couldn't, Hilary shrugged her shoulders and simply beckoned, "Tam!"

This time, unlike when Tyson had exclaimed it before, Tammy turned around and smiled cheekily at her mother. Now, Tyson and Hilary were able to clearly see that the toddler was holding onto Hilary's roses, and that the balloon was bobbing high up above her head, its ribbon clutched in one of the child's small fists.

Tyson's eyes widened when he saw what the toddler had managed to snatch. Hilary, on the other hand, just giggled.

"How cute!" Hilary crooned.

Tyson, however, was panicking. Those were Hilary's Valentine's Day gifts! _And_ her anniversary gifts! Until he had time to do something better, at least. But still! Tammy was only a year and a half old…what if she destroyed the flowers?! Those were Hilary's favorite part of the whole gift!

Laughing nervously, Tyson slowly approached the toddler, kneeling down to her level. "Hey there, pumpkin. Those are Mommy's presents! Could you give them back to her?"

"No!" Tammy squealed, laughing wildly afterwards.

Tyson's face fell, but he quickly turned it towards his wife as she continued laughing. "Hil, I'm trying to save your gifts here!"

"It's alright, they don't need saving," Hilary assured him, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "This is adorable!"

Tyson blinked. "What're you doing?"

"Taking pictures," Hilary replied simply. "Mom is going to _love_ this!"

Tyson sighed and sagged his shoulders. "I guess…"

He looked back over at Tammy. The little girl was burying her face in the roses, rubbing the soft red petals against her skin and sniffing the fragrant flowers all at the same time. Eventually, she seemed to have sniffed a bit too much, as she quickly picked her head up and sneezed. Tyson's trepidation quickly melted away as he started to chuckle, earning a curious look from his young daughter.

"You're a silly girl, Tam," Tyson laughingly informed the toddler.

"Ya," Tammy babbled, letting out her own giggle.

Hilary smirked and snapped another picture of Tammy before glancing over at Tyson. "Can't stay mad, can you?"

"Okay, I was never _mad_ ," Tyson stressed. "I was just worried about your gifts, that's all. But you're right…this is really cute."

"Of course it is," Hilary giggled. " _Tam_ is really cute! So almost everything she does is really cute."

"Almost?" Tyson asked teasingly.

"Her coming into our bedroom in the middle of the night just because she wants to hang out isn't so cute," Hilary admitted.

Still smiling, Tammy walked towards her mother until she was only a few inches away. Hilary turned her attention onto the girl, and allowed her eyes to widen ever so slightly as the toddler held out the bouquet of roses in her hands.

"Mama!" Tammy squealed.

"Oh, are you giving these to me?" Hilary asked sweetly. Tammy quickly nodded her head, which caused Hilary's smile to expand. "That's so sweet! Thank you, baby."

She gently took the roses from Tammy, but when she reached for the balloon, the little girl whined and turned away. "Oh, you only wanted to give me the flowers?"

Tammy nodded her head as she bounced the balloon up and down by its ribbon. Hilary giggled delightedly and assured the antsy toddler, "alright, you can hold onto the balloon."

The tiny girl beamed as her mother stood up to place the roses back on the counter.

"Now I should _really_ put these in a vase, before Tammy tries to swipe them again," Hilary joked.

"Good idea," Tyson chuckled lightly.

"Sorry she took ownership of the balloon, though," Hilary apologized.

"Hey, it's no big deal," Tyson assured her. "If anything, it kind of become a two-for-one gift!"

Hilary smirked as she rolled her eyes. "Really? You're going to choose _Valentine's Day_ to be cheap?"

"It's not cheap," Tyson calmly argued as he tapped the side of his head. "Just smart."

"Yeah," Hilary drawled, her smirk becoming more mischievous. " _Pretty_ smart."


	40. Chapter 40- Diner Delicacy

Vacationing in Hawaii was easily one of Hilary's favorite things in the whole world.

The year-round sun and warm temperatures were right up her alley. She was just not a winter person, and if she could spend every day of her life on the beach, she absolutely would. Of course, being the manager of World Champions meant she had to travel extensively. But for the month or two she could escape to Hawaii, Hilary definitely took advantage. Fuel up your husband's jet and zip…off to Hawaii.

Of all of the different hot spots around the destination, one of Hilary's favorites was The Seaside Diner. It was a very popular restaurant and one of the oldest on the island. In addition, her husband was good friends with the owners. Tyson had always been good friends with Restaurant owners…

For their latest vacation to the island, the kids had asked to go to the diner first thing. They were only 5 and 3, and were finally starting to remember things they had done there in the past. The Seaside Diner seemed to stand out as one of their favorite memories, and it was quite possibly what they were looking forward to the most.

Of course, Tyson was down for anything that had to do with food, so he was fully supportive of the request. The diner also had one of his favorite burgers in the world, so his "support" was actually unbridled enthusiasm that if not equal to the kids' exceeded theirs.

The owners of the diner were an older couple, just a bit older than Hilary's parents. They were always excited whenever Hilary brought her family over for a meal and always doted on them, especially the kids. Hilary, of course, couldn't blame them. In her opinion, the kids were just the cutest kids on the face of the Earth, and it was impossible not to fawn over them.

"Look at how big they've gotten!" Drasna, the wife, marveled.

"It's a little scary," Hilary laughed. "I almost wish I could make them stop!"

"Almost?" Tyson teased. "You wish for that every single day!"

Drasna giggled, while Hilary shot her husband a playful glare. "I can't help it that I like them being cute and tiny! They're so precious!"

"They'll still be precious when they get bigger," Drasna replied, smiling at the kids as they busily colored on paper placemats with the crayons she had given them.

"Yeah, and they'll find more ways to push our buttons," Tyson chuckled.

"Those two? Causing trouble?" Drasna gasped. "I don't believe that's possible."

"Oh, it's possible," Hilary sighed, a smirk playing on her lips. "Hard to believe, but Tyson and I don't have the most flawless behavioral genes."

"She's being dramatic," Tyson scoffed. "Alan and Vanessa are much better behaved than I was a kid! At least, I think they are."

"I believe I had a request for two cups of apple juice over here?"

Alan and Vanessa looked up from their drawings with huge smiles on their faces. An older man, Drasna's husband, had walked up to the table with a lidded cup in each hand.

"Thank you, Kibito," Hilary said to the newcomer. "Alan, Vanessa, what do you say?"

"-ank you!" They both chirped, grabbing onto the cups and sipping through the straws.

"You're very welcome," Kibito chuckled, folding his arms over his chest. "And how very polite you both are! That's so nice."

Tucker was sitting quietly between the kids on their side of the table, choosing to rest until the food came. It had been a long morning of playing at the beach, and the smell of food combined with the sunlight coming through the large windows made it the perfect opportunity for the tired little dog to take a quick break. The sunlight soon caused something to begin sparkling, however, and that was enough to capture his attention. He suddenly perked his ears and began looking around the restaurant, trying to find the source of the glint. Tucker's golden fur brushed up against the arms of the kids, causing them to giggle and turn their attention away from their juice.

"Silly Tu-cky!" Alan laughed.

Tyson hummed and raised an eyebrow. "What's up, Tuck? You see something?"

Without any other warning, Tucker scurried over Vanessa's lap and jumped onto the floor, pointing one of his paws behind him.

"row-!" Tucker squeaked.

"You want to show me?" Tyson asked. The dog nodded his head, and Tyson got up from his seat, allowing Tucker to climb up to his shoulder. He walked in the direction Tucker had been pointing in just before, finding himself at a glass display case that was full of trophies, accolades and photos.

"Whoa," Tyson breathed, bending at the knees to examine the objects inside the case. "Kibito, Drasna, what is all of this?"

"You've never seen it before?"

Tyson looked over his shoulder, watching as Hilary sauntered over to him. "No. Has it always been here?"

Hilary smirked. "Yes, Tyson, it's always been here. You're just always so focused on eating when we come here that I guess you've never noticed it!"

Tyson blushed and glanced back into the case. "Still, what is all this stuff? It looks like it came from some kind of tournament."

"It did!" Kibito confirmed. "Back in the day, Hawaii wasn't quite as big of a vacation spot as it is now. It always was one, but on a much smaller scale. When that was the case, bladers from all around the world would come here to try their luck since the weather was always warm!"

"The businesses here actually made more money from visiting beybladers than vacationers," Drasna added. "That's when it was decided that Hawaii should host a big annual tournament for those visiting!"

"I never knew that," Tyson breathed.

"Drasna and I actually met at that tournament," Kibito chuckled. "I'd have to say it was love at first sight. Fond memories!"

"That's so sweet!" Hilary gushed. "So this whole case must remind you of when you first met, right?"

"Right!" Drasna confirmed, nodding her head. "You met Tyson when you classmates as well, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but it definitely wasn't as sweet as you two," Hilary sighed, shuddering at the memory of her being kidnapped by a bunch of goons.

"So does that mean these trophies are yours?" Tyson asked, nearly sending Hilary face down on the floor.

"Seriously, Tyson?!" Hilary cried. " _That's_ what you got out of this conversation?!"

"Well…yeah," Tyson answered. "Kibito said he and Drasna met at the tournament, so that means they were both beybladers and competed there!"

"Unbelievable," Hilary grumbled, smacking a hand against her forehead. "Sometimes I can't believe you're a married man. And I can't believe _I'm_ the person who made you one."

"Yes indeed!" Kibito confirmed. "Two are mine, and two are Drasna's. We showed up to that tournament year after year, specifically to try and beat one another! But in the end, we came up even."

"As the years went on, Hawaii became more of a vacation destination than a training spot," Drasna explained. "The tournament wasn't making money like it once was, so the town discontinued it. And although Kibito and I lost the thing that brought us together, we knew that our relationship would stand the test of time."

Hilary sighed and pressed a hand against her chest. "That is so romantic!"

"Twophy?"

Hilary blinked and looked down at her feet. She had just felt something brush against her calf, and it turned out to be her young son's hand. He had managed to climb off the seat of the booth and ambled over to her, and was now staring up at the glass case full of tournament mementos.

"You want to see the trophies?" Hilary asked, Alan nodding his head in response. She picked up the boy and looked over her shoulder, making sure that Vanessa wasn't about to come running over either. She wasn't quite as interested in battle paraphernalia as Alan just yet, and the fact that she currently had crayons and paper in front of her, her favorite activity, meant she wasn't going to budge.

"Twophy!" Alan repeated, pointing at the case.

"Okay, okay," Hilary hushed, carrying him closer to the glass. "See them?"

Alan pressed his hands against the glass, leaning forward until his nose was touching it. His brown eyes widened as he examined the gold trophy, letting out a soft _ooh_ as he looked. Tyson, who had himself resumed checking out the artifacts, turned away from the case and smiled at his son.

"You like that trophy, buddy?" Tyson asked.

Alan glanced up at his father and rapidly nodded his head. "Fow Wey Wade, Daddy?"

"Yeah, Kibito won that for winning a big battle!" Tyson replied. "You want to win a trophy like that when you get older, champ?"

Alan quickly nodded his head again. " _Lotsa_ twophies!"

Tyson chuckled at his son's excitement. "I'm sure you'll win lots of them! You can do anything if you work hard for it."

Hilary smiled and tilted her head. "Aw, there it is!"

"What?" Tyson asked, looking side-to-side. "Where's what?"

"The reason I married you," Hilary giggled.

Tyson smirked and leaned forward to gently kiss Hilary's forehead. Drasna hummed, catching both Tyson and Hilary's attention.

"I don't know, Hilary," Drasna commented. "It certainly seems sweet to me!"

Hilary sheepishly smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah. You're right."

Knowing that Hilary was now content, Tyson pulled away and looked over at Kibito. "You know, if you're interested, I'd love to have a battle!"

Kibito's eyes widened at the suggestion. "Really? A battle with the World Champion?"

"Sure!" Tyson laughed. "I'd love to see what you've got! Clearly you're a pretty accomplished blader yourself."

"Well now, I don't think I'd go so far as to call myself _that,_ " Kibito chuckled. "But I sure you would love to have a battle with you, Tyson!"

"Great!" Tyson crowed. His stomach suddenly growled quite loudly, causing him to blush. "Uh…but maybe I should have a bite to eat first."

"Not a problem," Drasna assured. "One burger coming right up!"


	41. Chapter 41- Oh Brothers

"Weaw this bow!"/

"What? No way! I'm not putting that girly thing in my hair!"

Tammy pulled back with a pout on her face. She was standing in front of the couch Alan was sitting on, holding a red bow in her hands. It was one that she had picked out specifically for her brother because of the color.

"But you wike wed!" Tammy cried.

"Yeah, but not when it's a _bow_ ," Alan grumbled. "Bring me a baseball hat and I'll wear that."

Tammy scrunched her nose up at the suggestion. "I don't has that!"

"Well, I'm not wearing that bow," Alan scoffed.

Tammy scowled in response. "You hafta for the tea pawty!"

"I already said I don't want to play tea party," Alan groaned.

"Why?" Tammy whined.

"Because it's _girly_ , just like your bow," Alan replied. "And I don't like girly things!"

"Would you guys keep it down?"

Alan and Tammy looked towards the doorway of the living room, where their elder sister Vanessa was standing with her hands on her hips.

"I'm trying to work on a project and you're both distracting me," Vanessa huffed.

"Oh blah blah blah," Alan droned. "We don't all _live_ for homework like you do."

"Yeah!" Tammy squealed. "No homewowk!"

"Tammy, you don't even go to school yet," Alan grumbled.

"It's not a project for _school_ ," Vanessa sighed. "It's a personal project!"

"That just makes it worse," Alan remarked.

Narrowing her eyes, Vanessa continued, "One of the best ways to learn about Bitbeasts is to study them. Right now, I want to learn more about the differences between cyborg and original bitbeasts. So I'm comparing a bunch of different Beyblades and Uncle Kenny is helping me!"

"That's it?" Alan deadpanned. "Why couldn't you do something more interesting?"

Vanessa dramatically rolled her eyes. "This _is_ interesting. Just because you don't get it doesn't mean it's boring."

Tammy suddenly squealed and flitted towards Vanessa, her green eyes sparkling with excitement. "I wanna help, Vanny!"

Alan's brow furrowed, while Vanessa's face lit up. "You want to help me with my project?"

Tammy emphatically nodded her head.

"Great!" Vanessa giggled.

Vanessa gasped playfully and set a devious look on her brother. "Look at that. She's already great at it!" Reaching down, Vanessa gently grabbed her sister's hand and beckoned, "come on, Tam. Let's combine our girl power and get to work!"

"Yay!" Tammy giggled, happily following after Vanessa into the kitchen.

Alan growled and sunk deeper into the couch. The front door then opened up, Hilary walking in through the foyer. She had just finished their morning run, as evidenced by the workout clothes Hilary was wearing. She entered the living room and let out a tired breath before smiling at her son. "Hi, Alan!"

The boy turned his head and frowned at his mother. "Why couldn't you have had two more boys instead of girls?"

Hilary's smile turned into one that was far more wry. She certainly hadn't been expecting to walk in and get _that_ question. "Well, that's not really something I got to decide, you know."

"I'd have a lot more fun if I had brothers," Alan grumbled.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Alan," Hilary replied.

"Vanessa and Tammy don't like any of the same things I do!" Alan cried. "Vanessa's too calm, and Tammy's too girly. And then they team up and I'm outnumbered!"

Hilary smirked and sat down on the couch beside her son. "You know, I wanted the exact same thing when I was younger."

Alan raised an eyebrow. "You wanted brothers instead of sisters?"

Hilary hummed and nodded her head.

"But why?" Alan asked. "You're a girl. It must've been fun for you to have sisters."

"No, not really," Hilary refuted. "My cousins have always been a bit too girly for my liking. I wanted to play outside when I was a kid, not try on a bunch of different clothes and experiment with make-up. I thought that if I had brothers, I wouldn't be surrounded by glitter and squealing all the time, and I'd have people who wanted to do the things _I_ liked."

Alan narrowed his eyes in thought. "Wait, so if you never liked glitter and all that other girly stuff, how do you put up with Tam?"

Hilary snickered at the question. "It's easier to deal with when it's your own kid."

"Oh," Alan murmured. "I guess that makes sense."

"My point is, your sisters love you, and you love them," Hilary continued. "I know that sometimes you can all get on each other's nerves. That's what siblings do. But that doesn't change the fact you all care about each other a whole lot."

Alan grimaced. His mother wasn't wrong. He _did_ love his sisters. But…that still didn't stop him from wondering what it would be like to have brothers instead.

"Do you at least think Tam will ever stop trying to put bows in my hair?" Alan questioned. "Or forcing me to go to her tea parties?"

Hilary hemmed and hawed for a moment before slowly (and unsurely) responding, "Maybe in a few years?"

Alan groaned and buried his face in his hands.

 **XXX**

"You're lucky you have _any_ siblings! I _wish_ I had a sister to hang out with."

"Fine, you can have one of mine," Alan replied before tossing the baseball to Brad. The two had met up in Otaka Park for a bit of catch, and Alan had recanted to Brad his morning of having to deal with Vanessa and Tammy.

"I'm not gonna take one of your sisters," Brad chuckled.

"Why not?" Alan questioned. "You can pick either one! Both have some good stuff and some bad stuff about 'em. Tammy takes a little bit more work, though. Just to warn you."

"Could you imagine if I came home with a whole –nother person?" Brad wondered aloud, examining the baseball that was sitting in his glove. "My parents would _freak!_ "

"They think my sisters are cute, I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"I think if they wouldn't mind so much, they would've had another kid already," Brad reasoned with his best friend, tossing the ball back. "I guess I shouldn't complain. I've got so many cousins that I can barely keep track of them. And I don't have to live with them!"

"See? Even my cousins are girls!" Alan whined. "There are six of us, and I'm the _only_ boy. Maybe somebody put a curse on my family or something."

"A curse?" Brad repeated incredulously.

"Well yeah," Alan replied. "I only have sisters, and girl cousins. My mom only has cousins. My uncle Hiro too has a daughter."

"Then how'd your mom have you?" Brad questioned.

"Cause _I'm_ the one that was supposed to be cursed," Alan sighed as though it were obvious. "I'm surrounded by girls _all the time!_ "

"I'd _love_ to be surrounded by girls all the time," Brad scoffed.

"Yeah, until they start trying to put bows in your hair," Alan grumbled, trudging towards a nearby bench.

"I don't know, I don't think you'd have as much fun if you had brothers," Brad mused, running to catch up with Alan. "I mean, isn't it kind of fun to be the only boy?"

"Kind of," Alan murmured, shrugging his shoulders. "Sometimes I get extra attention and stuff. But I don't really care about that. I just wish sometimes I had siblings who were more like me."

"Hey, at least you've got me!" Brad cheered, throwing his arm over Alan's shoulders. The raven blue haired boy chuckled in return.

"Yeah, I do!" Alan agreed. "And you're the best friend I could ever ask for, Brad-o!"

"We're kind of like brothers anyway," Brad continued, tapping his chin with his opposite hand. "Since neither of us actually have one, we might as well be!"

"That's true too," Alan conceded, his smile widening just a bit.

 **XXX**

Still, as he lay in bed that night, Alan just couldn't get the idea out of his head. He knew it would be a whole lot different if he had two brothers instead of two sisters. But he didn't actually know if it'd be as strange as everyone was insisting it would be. After all, he didn't know what it was like to even have _one_ brother. And he did still wonder what it would be like to live with someone who was just like him. Someone aside from his father, at least.

Alan yawned and rolled over onto his side, nestling his head deeper into his pillow as his eyes began to slip closed, and his mind continued to wander…

" _Hey! Wake up!"_

 _Alan nearly shot out of bed as soon as he felt something roughly jab him in the back. The boy whipped around with a glare on his face, one that quickly melted away into shock when he realized he was face-to-face with another boy._

" _Uh…what?" Alan stammered._

" _You're so lazy," the other boy scoffed, his bright auburn hair falling over his teal eyes._

" _Who are you?" Alan questioned, sitting upright. "And what are you doing jumping on me and calling me lazy?!"_

" _Great, so now you're gonna play dumb too?" The other boy complained._

" _Alan! Vance! Breakfast!"_

 _The other boy, Vance apparently, started to cheer and gave Alan one final shove before jumping off his bed and running out of the room. Alan just lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, his brow furrowed._

"… _what?"_

 _He eventually managed to force himself out of bed and downstairs, still feeling very confused. He was definitely in his house, but Alan had definitely never seen that brunette boy before. That same boy was already sitting at the table, filling his plate with tons of food._

" _Alan, you'd better start filling up your own plate before your brothers eat everything."_

 _The black blue haired boy blinked hard and looked over at the counter, where his mother was standing._

" _Uh…my brothers?" Alan repeated._

" _Bam! Bam! Bam!"_

 _Hilary groaned and squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Tim, cut it out and sit down!"_

 _It was then that Alan realized another boy, this one smaller than him and Vance and with darker brown hair, was standing nearby and whacking one of the legs of the table with a small baseball bat._

" _But I'm pwayin- baseball!" He whined._

" _Well it's breakfast time, not baseball time," Hilary scolded. "Sit down and eat, and_ then _you can play baseball. I'm sure even Vance and Alan will play with you!"_

" _Yeah, we can play baseball!" Vance assured, stuffing a forkful of waffle into his mouth and swallowing it just as quickly._

" _Oh, so you guys like baseball too!" Alan exclaimed, earning bewildered looks from everyone else in the room._

" _Duh," Vance droned. "Especially since I'm better than both of you!"_

 _Alan raised an eyebrow. "Better? Than me? I don't think so."_

" _That's because you live in denial," Vance argued, causing Alan to scrunch up his nose. "You're like the worst baseball player in all of Japan! Anyone who's ever had to watch you play ends up wanting to gouge their eyes out."_

" _Vance!" Hilary snapped._

" _What?" Vance drawled, feigning innocence. "It's just the truth."_

" _Morning guys!"_

 _Tyson came strolling into the kitchen, just as he normally would. He ruffled Alan's hair before sitting down at the table, eyeing the brunette boy's plate across from him._

" _I hate it when you get a head start," Tyson sighed._

" _You should get down here faster!" Vance snickered._

 _As Tyson began to fill his own plate, Tim finally sat down just as Hilary had requested, and began to copy every move Tyson made. Alan, who quickly recognized this as something he had done at that age, began to feel even more uncomfortable as he took his normal seat at the table. By the time he was ready to begin gathering his own food, however, everything was basically gone._

" _Already?" Hilary sighed, having walked over to the table. "That was even faster than usual…"_

" _Do you have any more?" Alan asked, eyeing the counter from his seat._

" _No, that's all that I made," Hilary admitted. "I thought it was more than enough! I really can't keep up with your appetites. I'm sorry, Alan. I'll get us some cereal."_

 _Alan's jaw dropped as his mother sauntered over to the cabinet. Normally_ he _was the one gorging himself at every meal! Now he had to play second fiddle to everyone else and settle for cereal from a box?_

" _So Dad, after breakfast can we play some catch?" Vance asked._

" _Of course!" Tyson chuckled. "You know that's one of my favorite parts of the day!"_

" _Mine too!" Alan agreed, momentarily forgetting about his disappointment over breakfast._

 _Vance, however, was quick to scowl. "Can't we go without Alan?"_

" _Hey!" Alan bit._

" _Vance, stop it!" Hilary warned._

" _Sorry, but he just slows us all down," Vance groused. "Even Tim is better than Alan!"_

 _Tim started to laugh, food tumbling out of his mouth and falling all over the table. That was gross even by Alan's standards, who winced at the scene._

" _That's not fair, Vance," Tyson sighed. "I'm not going to play without all of you."_

" _Fine," Vance grumbled, shoving the last bite of food into his mouth before pushing his plate away. "I'm gonna go get a head start!"_

 _He jumped up from his seat and darted out of the kitchen, leaving a total mess behind him._

" _Vance, wait!" Hilary yelled. "Get back here and clean up!"_

" _Wait fow me!" Tim cried, shoving his own empty plate away and scurrying after Vance._

" _Boys!" Hilary growled, stomping towards the doorway. Alan glanced down at the table, frowning once he realized he still didn't have his cereal._

 _Tyson chuckled as Hilary turned away from the doorway, rubbing her temples. "Man, they sure are a handful!"_

 _Hilary, on the other hand, just sighed and slumped her shoulders. "I really wonder what it would be like to have at least_ one _girl…"_

Alan awoke with a jolt. Sunlight was streaming in through his window and stretching across his bedroom. Panic pulsating through his body, Alan pushed the covers off and jumped out of bed, running out of his bedroom and straight down the stairs. He nearly skidded into the kitchen, having to stop himself by grabbing onto the nearby fridge. He glanced over at the table, and felt all of the anxiety leave his body as he saw Vanessa and Tammy sitting there, both of them daintily eating their breakfast while Hilary finished up at the counter.

"Thank Arceus!" Alan gasped dramatically, rushing over to the table and gathering a stunned Vanessa and Tammy into his arms.

"Alan, what are you doing?!" Vanessa whined, trying to wriggle out of her brother's grasp.

Tammy, on the other hand, simply giggled and attached herself to Alan's side. "Hugs!"

Hilary turned around and raised an eyebrow at the scene. "What's all this about?"

Alan pulled away from his sisters and grinned at both of them before whipping around to give his mother the same look. "I'm just really glad I have sisters, that's all!"

Hilary's confused expression turned into one of contentedness. Vanessa, however, were still a bit thrown off by their brother's sudden revelation.

"Boys are weird," Vanessa sighed, shaking her head.


	42. Chapter 42: The Secret Tiffin Box

" _Ooooh!_ "

Tammy's eyes sparkled as she laid them on her friend Hailie's lunch. The lavender bento box was filled with rice, sliced meat, fruit and vegetables intricately cut and arranged into the shape of a sheep surrounded by flowers and lightning bolts.

"That's the coolest lunch ever!" Tammy squealed, sitting back down to beam at Hailie.

The little redhead giggled. "Thanks! Lucy's really good at making fancy stuff like this."

Tammy twisted her mouth and glanced down at her far more simple meal: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut in half with some vegetable sticks and a pair of cookies. "My mommy could never make anything like that."

Maria tilted her head. "Is she a bad cook?"

"No," Tammy replied slowly. "She just doesn't make anything from scratch. Like cake! She can make it, but it has to come out of a box."

"My mom can make her own cakes," David informed the girls, popping a chip into his mouth. "But she only does it for special things, like our birthdays."

"Mine is really good at cooking and baking!" Maria chirped. "She can make all kinds of tasty stuff. Her cookies are my favorite!"

"Does she make them all the time?" David asked.

Maria grinned and nodded her head. "Uh huh!"

David pouted and rested his head in his hand. "Lucky."

Tammy frowned. "You guys are _all_ lucky. I don't _mind_ eating pre-made stuff, but homemade is always better! That's why I like visiting my Grammy. She owns a restaurant, so she makes the _best_ food!"

Gasping, Hailie suggested, "then maybe _she_ could make you a fancy lunch!"

Tammy simply blinked. "What?"

"Since she's a professional chef, your grandma could probably make something really amazing for you!" Hailie elaborated. "You could ask her to make your lunch."

David hummed and nodded his head. "Plus, grandmas never say no to their grandkids! That's like…a rule, I think."

Tammy twisted her mouth in thought. "That's a pretty good idea." Grinning with determination, Tammy slammed one of her small fists on the table. "Kay, that's what I'm gonna do! But I'll need to find a way to get to her house first…"

 **XXX**

When a slip of fake, pink paper money appeared on his lap, Tyson knew there was only one person who would give him such a bribe. Smirking, Tyson lifted the play money with two fingers and, without even looking down, asked, "I'm assuming you want something, Tam?"

The little girl's eyes widened. "Wow, how'd you know it was me?"

"Lucky guess," Tyson teased, finally turning his head towards his daughter. "What's up, pumpkin?"

"I want you to take me to Grammy's," Tammy announced before quickly adding, "please."

"What for?" Tyson questioned.

Tammy elucidated. "I want to ask her something."

Tyson appeared confused by the request. "Well, if that's all, we could just call her on the phone and you could ask that way."

"No!" Tammy cried. "I have to go there, Daddy! I have to ask her in person!"

Now Tyson was even _more_ confused. "What kind of question is this, anyway?"

Tammy sighed as she motioned for her father to come closer to her. Raising an eyebrow, Tyson got up from his chair and knelt down beside Tammy so she could lean into his ear.

"I want Grammy to make me lunch for school," Tammy whispered.

"Lunch?" Tyson repeated, not keeping his voice low like Tammy. "But Mommy always makes you-"

"Shh!" Tammy hissed. "Don't let her hear you!"

"Why not?" Tyson asked.

"I don't want to make Mommy feel bad," Tammy explained, her voice still soft. "Her lunch is okay. But Hailie had a really cool lunch today, and I bet Grammy could make one just like it!"

"I don't know, Mommy's not all that bad at cooking," Tyson murmured, scratching his head. "You're lucky you never had to eat her food _before_ Grammy and Uncle Ray taught her how to do it!"

"Yeah, but Grammy's food is still better," Tammy challenged.

Tyson opened his mouth to argue, but quickly reeled that in. "That's fair."

Tammy's face lit up. She knew she was starting to convince him. "Please, Daddy? Can we go?"

Tyson sighed. He wasn't really in the mood to get caught up in what was sure to be a long winded visit to his mother in law, but he also thought this would be a pretty silly thing to get in a fight with Tammy about. If all she wanted out of her grandmother was one measly lunch for school, then he supposed he could put up with a bit of unexpected personal invasion from his mom.

"Alright," Tyson relented, earning an excited squeal from his daughter which brought the smile back to his face. "We'll head over there."

Almost completely satisfied, Tammy stopped celebrating to reach into her pocket and pull out another piece of fake paper, this one light blue in color. She held it out towards her father, who cautiously took the paper bill. "What's this one for?"

"To not tell Mommy what we're doing," Tammy replied.

Tyson couldn't help but to chuckle as he held both bills up. "What, you don't trust me?"

"I do," Tammy effortlessly assured him. "But Alan says you should always give people something when you need them to do stuff for you!"

Tyson laughed as he winked at his daughter. "Well thanks, baby girl! I'll have to find a good place to spend this money."

Tammy showed off a sideways smile, and supplemented it with a mischievous, "Good luck, cause it's only pretend!"

 **XXX**

Johanna was always thrilled to see her grandchildren. A surprise visit, somehow, was even better than the ones Johanna knew about in advance, though she treasured both of them equally.

As soon as she saw Tammy standing on the other side of her white door, Johanna showed off a huge grin.

"Hi, Grammy!" Tammy excitedly greeted, running up to her grandmother and hugging her legs.

"Oh, hello, darling!" Johanna crooned, kneeling down to pick the child up. "What a nice surprise! Did you come here all by yourself?"

Tammy shook her head. "Daddy brought me! I bribed him!"

Johanna snickered at her granddaughter's reply before looking around. "Where is he?"

"I'm right here."

Tyson was scowling at his daughter as he walked up towards the house, "Tammy, you have to stop letting yourself out of the car."

"Why?" Tammy squeaked. "I'm good at it!"

"Yeah, _too_ good," Tyson sighed, folding his arms.

Johanna giggled. "It's alright, dear! She's perfectly safe here."

"I know that, but it's not really a great habit to have," Tyson grumbled.

Tammy shrugged and looked up at her grandmother. "Grammy, I hafta ask you something!"

"Oh, okay!" Johanna breathed, taken off guard by her granddaughter's sudden rush. "Why don't we go inside first and then you can ask me?"

"Okay!" Tammy chirped.

She carried the child into the house, Tyson entering just behind. Johanna walked over to the couch and sat Tammy down, taking the spot beside her.

"Now, what would you like to ask me?" Johanna questioned.

"Can you make me lunch for school?" Tammy blurted out, her eyes shimmering.

Johanna appeared confused. "Sweetheart, doesn't Mommy make your lunch for you?"

"Yeah…" Tammy sighed. "But my friends told me all about how _their_ mommies make them homemade cookies and cakes! And my friend Hailie, she brought the coolest lunch to school yesterday! Her nanny made it for her. It looked like a Sheep!"

Johanna looked over at her son-in-law, who simply shrugged his shoulders. He thought the whole thing was kind of silly, but it was more often than not fruitless to argue with his young daughter.

"Oh, I see," Johanna murmured. "So you want a special lunch like that."

"Uh huh!" Tammy squeaked, quickly nodding her head.

Johanna frowned. She certainly didn't want her daughter to feel inadequate when it came to feeding her own child. Johanna knew for a fact the woman could cook. She had taught her, after all. Nothing too fancy, but what she was able to make tasted very good, and that was really all that mattered. Then again, it didn't really seem like Tammy was complaining about the way her mother's food tasted. She just wanted something a little special-and potentially very difficult to put together-like her friend had. That kind of bento box, which Johanna had seen before, might have proven to be difficult even for her, let alone Hilary. Johanna also knew, however, that Tammy was coming of the age where she wanted the same things as her friends. One of them bringing in something so cute and so special would've definitely set off the little seed of jealousy that most children like Tammy possessed.

"Please, Grammy?"

Johanna blinked, realizing she'd zoned out. Tammy was still gazing up at her, fluttering her long eyelashes. Unable to resist her granddaughter's face, Johanna let out a gentle breath and smiled.

"Alright," she relented. "I'll make you a special lunch."

Tammy cheered and hugged Johanna's side. "Thank you, Grammy!"

Johanna hugged the girl back. "Of course, baby!"

Pulling away, Tammy stared deeply at her father and ordered, "Don't tell Mommy!"

Tyson waved his hands in front of him. "Hey, I already told you I won't!"

Johanna laughed, resting her head in her hand. "You really have Daddy wrapped around your little finger, don't you?"

Tammy smiled proudly and nodded her head. "I'm really good at that!"

 **XXX**

The bento box Johanna had managed to create for Tammy was nothing short of amazing.

She'd shaped rice into the likeness of a Teddy, Tammy's favorite toy, and surrounded it with hearts made of fruit, balls constructed with vegetables and cheese, and small swirls made with meat.

Both Tammy and Tyson were amazed with the final product, which Johanna had brought to their house the next morning in Tammy's pink bento box.

"I love it!" Tammy squealed, gleefully taking the box. "Thank you, Grammy!"

"Mom, how long did it take you to make that?" Tyson asked, finally closing his jaw.

"About half an hour," Johanna determined, shrugging her shoulders.

Tyson furrowed his brow. "That's an awfully long time to put together lunch for a first grader."

"Maybe, but look how happy Tam is!" Johanna giggled. "You know I'd do anything for my sweet little granddaughter."

"And you say she has _me_ wrapped around her little finger," Tyson scoffed.

Kneeling down, Johanna gently held Tammy's face and kissed the girl's forehead. "You have a lovely day at school, okay, sweetheart?"

"I will!" Tammy assured her, running over to her backpack in order to retrieve her lunch bag.

Tyson sighed and looked back over at his mother. "Thanks again for agreeing to make Tam's lunch, Mom. You really didn't have to."

"Now Tyson, I already told you I'd do anything for her!" Johanna calmly argued. "It was no trouble at all, really. I'll see you all at the end of the week for dinner, yes?"

"Definitely," Tyson chuckled, nodding his head. "See ya then!"

He closed the door behind her and sighed, leaning against it. He and Tammy had really gotten away with it.

"Who was at the door?"

A jolt traveled up Tyson's spine.

"No one!" Tyson blurted, bewildering his wife as she walked down the stairs.

"I definitely heard you speaking to someone," Hilary murmured, glancing over his shoulder.

"I was talking to myself," Tyson supplied effortlessly.

From her spot on the floor, Tammy shot her father an incredulous look. She was _six_ and she wouldn't buy that! Based on Hilary's face, she wasn't either.

"Nice try," Hilary derided. She sauntered over to one of the windows in the living room, looking outside. "Is that mom?"

"Um…no?"

Hilary looked over at Tyson and rolled her eyes. "You're a terrible liar."

Tyson scowled. "Well…you ask terrible questions!"

"Why was mom here?" Hilary asked, not interested in arguing with her husband this early in the morning.

"Oh…she just had to drop something off," Tyson replied. He was able to do this much more coolly because it wasn't really a lie.

"Really?" Hilary sounded genuinely curious. "What was it?"

 _Now_ he was nervous again. As he started to stammer, Tammy sighed and easily responded, "Daddy left some of his underwear at Grammy's house, and she was sick of looking at it, so she brought it here."

Tyson's face immediately turned red. Hilary, on the other hand, let out a short laugh and exclaimed, "That doesn't surprise me! No wonder you were so embarrassed."

Hilary walked right into the kitchen, leaving behind a still furiously blushing Tyson. Tammy started to giggle, which she quickly hid behind her hand. Tyson glared at his daughter, who managed to cease her tittering and instead squeak, "sorry, but you really are a bad liar. Mommy was gonna figure out something was up!"

"But you really had to use my _underwear_ as an excuse?" Tyson groaned.

Tammy guiltlessly shrugged her shoulders. "It was the most believable!"

"Socks or shoes would've just worked as well!"

"Yeah, but you're _you_ , Daddy."

"Tammy, where's your lunch box?"

Tyson and Tammy exchanged panicked looks. Jumping to her feet, Tammy scurried into the kitchen and chirped, "My lunch box?"

"I can't find it," Hilary explained, closing one of the cabinets she'd been looking in. "You didn't leave it in your backpack again, did you?"

"No, I was just in my backpack!" Tammy answered.

Hilary hummed and rubbed her chin. "It's not on the drying rack either. I swear I washed it last night!"

Tyson appeared behind Tammy, his brow furrowed. "Maybe a cat took it?"

"I doubt it," Hilary sighed. "Without food in it, it's just an empty plastic box. Tucker wouldn't want anything to do with that."

"But Tucker likes boxes," Tammy tried.

" _Cardboard_ boxes, though," Hilary mused. "Besides, he's never taken your lunch box before. So why now?"

Tyson felt like he was slowly losing his mind. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to keep up this charade. After all, Hilary wasn't going to send Tammy to school without lunch. And if she spent time making a new one, Tyson would feel bad for unintentionally wasting her time. So, willing to risk the scorn of his youngest daughter, Tyson sighed and admitted, "Mom was dropping off lunch for Tammy. We brought her the box last night so she could make something special."

Tammy's jaw dropped as she glared up at her father. Hilary just stared at the two for a long moment before nodding her head and stating, "Okay."

Both Tyson and Tammy were taken off guard. "Okay?!"

"Yeah, okay," Hilary repeated, a bit of a snicker in her voice. "That's just one less thing for me to do! What, did you two think I'd be mad or something?"

"…kind of?" Tyson muttered.

"You all make me sound like I'm crazy," Hilary sighed, shaking her head. "Oh well. I'm just going to make myself some coffee, now that I don't have to put together Tam's lunch!"

Tyson was still awestruck. He looked down at Tammy, who was still scowling at him. Laughing nervously, Tyson commented, "well that went a lot better than I was expecting!"

Her facial expression unchanging, Tammy held her hand out. "I'm gonna need that pretend money back now, Daddy."


	43. Chapter 43: First Class Fears

"Tam, don't lie on the floor like that!"

The toddler picked only her head up, gazing at her older sister. "Why?"

"Cause it's gross," Vanessa grumbled. "People are stepping on it all day with their dirty shoes and rolling their luggage all over it."

Tammy didn't seem bothered by such a fact. "Al's got diwty shoes."

Vanessa sighed and reached down, picking the little girl up beneath her arms. Tammy didn't protest and allowed her sister to pull her up onto her feet.

"Mom and Dad wanted me to keep an eye on you while they went to get something really quick," Vanessa reminded her younger sister. "So that's what I have to do!"

Tammy giggled and nodded her head. She was very young, but she adored her older sister and could always tell when she should really be listening to her.

"Do you want to sit up here next to me?" Vanessa asked, motioning towards the seat next to her that was currently occupied by a small backpack; Tammy's.

"Uh huh!" Tammy chirped.

Vanessa picked Tammy up again, this time to sit her down next to her. Once she was seated, Tammy pulled her backpack onto her lap and unzipped the back compartment, digging through it.

"Are you looking for something?" Vanessa questioned. Tammy didn't answer, however, and just keep her head down. Frowning, Vanessa began to look around, taking in the surrounding sights of the gate. There were lots of people waiting to board the plane just like them, mostly adults, thought there were some kids. She didn't have much of a desire to socialize, however. Vanessa was looking for one kid in particular, and when she didn't catch sight of them, she furrowed her brow, muttering to herself, "Where did he go?"

"I'm right here."

Vanessa shrieked and jumped in her chair. Tammy finally looked up from her backpack, and the voice of the latest arrival started to laugh wildly. The older girl snarled, her eyes darkening. "Alan!"

"Man that was _so_ funny!" Alan guffawed. "You should've seen your face! I wish I'd taken a picture of it."

"You're such a pain," Vanessa growled, lowering her hands as they balled into fists. "And you're _supposed_ to be watching Tam with me!"

"Yeah, I know," Alan slowly replied, scuffing the toe of his sneaker against the floor. "I just needed to do something. I wasn't gone that long."

"What did you need to do that was so important?" Vanessa grumbled.

"I saw a parrot and I wanted to take a closer look at it," Alan innocently explained.

Vanessa blinked hard. "Seriously?"

"They're really rare here!" Alan whined. "I got so excited when I saw it! I think it was from Macau-"

"I don't care!" Vanessa hissed. "That's a lame excuse, Alan. Try _lying_ next time like you always do with a better reason."

"What?! I don't lie!" Alan snapped.

"Yes you do," Vanessa scoffed.

"No I don't!"

"You do!"

Tammy shifted her eyes back and forth, watching her older siblings argue. As she was looking between them, her eyes stopped in the middle when she saw something that sparked her interest.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Tammy squeaked.

Alan and Vanessa instantly stopped fighting and looked over their shoulders, finding that their parents were, in fact, walking towards them.

"Let's act like nothing happened," Vanessa declared.

"Good idea," Alan agreed.

"There are my sweethearts!"

Hilary was beaming at the children, her eyes practically shimmering. "Was Tam good for you two?"

"Yeah, she was fine," Vanessa assured her mother. "She's been pretty quiet, actually."

"Must be because she's hungry," Tyson chuckled.

Someone's stomach growled, and Tyson grinned almost goofily in response. Tammy, however, quickly pointed at her brother, who blushed.

"Um…guess I'm hungry too," Alan admitted.

"No surprise there," Hilary giggled. "It's a good thing we brought enough food back here for all of you!"

"Yes!" Alan cheered. "I was hoping that's where you guys were going!"

"It's not a whole meal, just some snacks, but it should be enough to hold you over for now," Hilary added.

Tyson pulled a soft pretzel out of a paper bag in his hands and passed it over to Alan. He then took out another one and gave it to Vanessa.

"Thank you!" They both chirped.

Tammy, on the other hand, frowned and began to wiggle in her seat. "Hung-y! Hung-y!"

"Hey, it's okay!" Tyson chuckled, retrieving a third pretzel. He ripped off a small piece and held it out towards the antsy toddler, who gave it a short look before taking the morsel and nibbling at it.

"I got juice for you too," Hilary informed the toddler. "Do you want some?"

Tammy happily nodded her head, her mouth full of pretzel.

"Wow, a sippy cup and everything, huh?" Tyson marveled. "You're really going all out in this airport."

Hilary shot her husband a side eye. "I can't trust her to not spill the whole bottle on herself."

"Oh, right, because she's a little kid," Tyson mused.

"Well, yeah, but also because she's _your_ little kid," Hilary teased, smirking at him.

Tyson groaned and rolled his eyes. "You know, that joke stopped being funny when _Alan and Vanessa_ were little."

"I still think it's funny," Hilary asserted, shrugging her shoulders before pouring some of the apple juice from its original container into the sippy cup. "Besides, I have to try and keep Tam as neat as possible. You know the whole 'flying first class with kids' thing makes me nervous."

"Still?" Tyson chuckled.

"Come on, be serious," Hilary whined, handing Tammy the sippy cup after making sure the top was twisted on good and tight. "It's bad enough to have all those rich snobs glaring at us because we're putting a bunch of kids in their special air space. I don't need them thinking I'm a lousy mother on top of it."

"No one thinks that," Tyson assured her.

"They will if I bring on a kid covered in juice," Hilary muttered.

"She's not even three years old," Tyson laughed. "She's _supposed_ to be messy! She's not a robot baby. That'd be pretty cool though."

Hilary playfully rolled her eyes as she stood back up to her full height. "Yeah, _we_ get that because we're normal people. The normal first class clientele is a different breed."

"Mowe?"

Tyson and Hilary turned their attention onto Tammy, who was holding onto her juice with one hand and pointing at the pretzel in her father's grasp with the other.

"Oh, sorry, pumpkin!" Tyson chuckled, ripping off another piece of pretzel. "Of course you can have more!"

"Yay!" Tammy squealed, grabbing the piece and shoving the whole thing in her mouth, eliciting more laughter from her father.

"You're so cute," he crooned.

"Of course she is," Hilary agreed with a giggle.

Vanessa suddenly looked up from her pretzel, an eyebrow raised. "Hey, Tam, did you find what you were looking for before in your backpack?"

Tyson inclined his head. "What do you mean, Vanny?"

"Tammy was going through her backpack before with some serious concentration," Vanessa explained with a giggle. "I guess I'm just curious what she was so focused on!"

"Oh, that makes sense," Tyson chuckled. "What was it, Tam?"

The little girl swallowed her latest bite of pretzel and smiled as she reached into her backpack, pulling out a stuffed version of one of her favorite _Pony_ characters. She squeezed the toy's stomach, causing it to giggle while its pink mane and tail started to glow. The toy was surprisingly loud, and it had managed to catch the attention of a few other passengers nearby.

"Tammy, turn it off!" Hilary cried urgently.

"I can't, Mommy!" Tammy giggled. "She has to stop on her own."

It seemed that a vein would appear in Hilary's forehead at any given moment. "You really think they'd put an off switch on those kind of toys…"

Tyson smirked at his wife before adding, "nah, because then they wouldn't be as annoying for the grown-ups, and that's no fun!"

"No kidding," Hilary grumbled.

 _Now boarding Flight 1121 to Hong Kong._

Hilary blinked and glanced up towards the gate. "Oh, looks like we have to start getting ready to get on the plane."

Alan swallowed the rest of his pretzel before letting out an excited whoop, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over one shoulder. "I can't _wait_ to get to Hong Kong! Maybe I'll get to see some really cool beybattles!"

"Right, because that Dad's battles aren't cool enough," Vanessa grumbled, getting up from her seat and picking up her own bag.

"What?" Hilary asked her daughter, raising an eyebrow as Alan glared at his elder sister.

"Nothing," Vanessa sighed, shaking her head.

Tyson, meanwhile, tucked the rest of the soft pretzel back in its paper bag before smiling at his youngest daughter. "Okay, Tam, time to get going! Can you put your toy away and get your backpack on?"

Tammy happily nodded her head and stowed the now quiet Pony plush away in the back compartment of her bag, zipping it up and slipping the pale purple straps adorned by rose gold accents over her shoulders.

"What a big girl!" Tyson complimented, picking her up in his arms.

"Alright, does everyone have everything?" Hilary asked, carefully eyeing the other family members.

"Yep!" Alan confirmed.

Tyson took a survey of the seats that they had been occupying. "I don't see anything. I think we're good to go!"

They walked up to the gate, getting their boarding passes checked before entering the walkway that connected them to the plane.

"I call the window seat!" Alan announced, throwing his hand up in the air.

"What?! No way!" Vanessa cried. "Mom!"

"He _did_ call it first," Hilary reasoned with her daughter, earning a pout from the girl. "You guys have to take turns! You're old enough to understand that, aren't you?"

"I guess," Vanessa grumbled.

"You can have the window seat on the way back," Hilary declared. "How's that?"

"Fine," Vanessa sighed.

Hilary groaned and squeezed the bridge of her nose, Tyson watching her with a furrowed brow. "Man, you really _are_ stressed."

"I'd be way less stressed if Scott would just break down and book us seats that aren't first class," Hilary grumbled.

"It's been 10 years and he hasn't given it yet, so I wouldn't bank on that happening any time soon," Tyson replied.

"It was great when we didn't have kids," Hilary continued. "I love these three more than anything, but they aren't always the best travelers, and I really could deal without the judgment of the elite."

Tyson smirked, despite his wife's distress. "Don't let 'em phase you, Hil. I have to be around those kind of people all the time, and I never let them bother me! Just isn't worth it, you know?"

Hilary grimaced and furrowed her brow as they walked closer to the entrance of the plane. "I wish I could be as carefree as you are. I'm just not built that way, unfortunately."

Tyson blinked and tilted his head. "Built? You make it sound like you want to be a robot, like the rich people want our kids to be!"

Hilary finally smirked herself and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe it does sound kind of cool."

The family finally boarded the plane, heading towards their seats. Tammy, who was still in Tyson's arms, locked eyes with an older woman who was already sitting down. The woman smiled at the little girl, who quickly returned the action.

"Here you go," Tyson murmured, placing Tammy in the window seat. She didn't seem happy there, however, and quickly climbed over to the aisle seat, confusing her father. "Hey, what's up, Tam? Don't you want to sit next to the window?"

Tammy shook her head. "I wanna sit wif you and Mommy!"

"Well, one of us has to sit with Alan and Vanessa," Tyson reasoned with her.

"You sit hewe," Tammy instructed, pointing at the seat right next to her before pointing at the next seat across the aisle. "Mommy sit hewe."

"Oh, you want to sit _between_ us," Tyson breathed.

"Dat's what I said!" Tammy cried, raising her voice a bit too much for her parents' liking.

"Okay, okay!" Tyson fussed, quickly inching into the aisle and sitting down beside his daughter. "That good?"

Tammy beamed and nodded.

"Good," Tyson sighed, sinking deeper into his seat.

Alan quirked an eyebrow at the conversation. "If Tammy isn't gonna take the window seat, can I?"

"No, buddy," Tyson sighed. "One of us has to sit with her, just like one of us has to sit with you and Vanessa."

"I can take care of Tam," Alan offered.

Tyson smirked at his son. "It's not that easy. Don't worry, Alan; you'll get a window seat on the way home, just like Mom said!"

Alan frowned and slunk back in his seat. Hilary, on the other hand, let out a long breath and rested her head in her hand. "This is going to be a _long_ flight."

Luckily for them, Tammy was quiet for much of the early flight. Alan and Vanessa were too, but they were older and at this point, they knew better than to anger their mother on an airplane by misbehaving. It got to a point, however, when Tammy decided she was hungry again, and began begging Tyson for more of the pretzel he and Hilary had bought in the terminal.

"Yay!" Tammy squealed, Tyson's eyes widening at the volume, when he fulfilled the little one's wish.

"Tam…" he tried.

"Hewe!" Tammy continued, interrupting her father. ''So-lly!''

"Don't worry about it," Tyson assured the little girl, a sympathetic smile gracing his face. "I just don't want Hilary to freak out any more than she already is. I'm sure she's over there clenching her jaw right now."

"I wasn't nearly as worked up as her until we got on this plane," Tyson grumbled. "Now every noise Tammy makes sounds like it's a hundred times louder than it actually is, and my nerves are shot."

Tammy suddenly giggled again, this time even louder before. The older woman who had smiled at the little girl when they first boarded the plane turned to look at her, and Tyson's heart began to race.

"Tam…" He began.

"Daddy, I wanna pway wif Pinky!" Tammy cried.

"Shh," Tyson hushed the girl, his eyes finally moving from the older woman back onto Tammy. "Quietly, Tam. What do you want?"

"Pinky," Tammy squeaked, her voice actually lowering.

Tyson appeared confused. "What's Pinky?"

"My Pony!" Tammy exclaimed, pointing down at her backpack.

Tyson sucked in a breath; his daughter was getting too noisy again. "Alright, you can have it. But don't squeeze it so it laughs, okay?"

"Okay," Tammy agreed, nodding her head.

Tyson unzipped the girl's backpack and pulled the toy out, handing it to her. Tammy beamed and hugged the plush, tightly enough that it set off the obnoxiously loud sound chip inside of it. The stuffed Pony's high pitched laughter filled the plane, and Hilary and the kids all whipped their heads towards Tyson and Tammy.

"Not that thing again!" Alan gasped.

"Mom's gonna _lose_ it…" Vanessa warned in a sing song voice.

Tyson was too afraid to look at the rest of his family. Instead, he glanced up and realized that the same older woman from before was looking at Tammy again, opening her mouth to utter what Tyson assumed was going to be a complaint.

"She is just precious!"

That's all it took for Tyson's heart to stop pounding in his ears. The woman's smile widened, looking up from Tammy to Tyson.

"Oh…uh…thank you," Tyson murmured. He wasn't used to people in first class complimenting him on his children. All he usually got was dirty looks.

"She reminds me of my granddaughter," the woman continued. "Such a happy little girl! And so well behaved."

"Well behaved?" Tyson repeated, as if he couldn't believe what she'd just said.

The woman nodded her head. "A lot of people worry about bringing children on a plane, especially in first class, but I haven't heard a peep out of your daughter! She must be a very good traveler."

Tammy looked up at her father and grinned. Tyson smirked at his young daughter and replied, "Yeah, she's pretty good at it."

Just as the older woman turned around, Hilary raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Who are you talking to?"

"Just a fellow first class passenger who thinks Tammy is a perfect traveler," Tyson replied, puffing out his chest.

Tammy stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth and turned to stare at her mother before announcing, "I'm the best!"

Hilary sighed before smiling at her young daughter, suddenly feeling much more relaxed. "Yeah, but Daddy and I already knew that."


	44. Chapter 44: Decorating Tiffs

As soon as Tammy's eyes fell onto the tray of cupcakes, they began to sparkle.

"Oooh!" She squealed, gripping the side of the table where it sat. "Yummy cupcakes!"

The little girl turned her head a bit and realized there was a bowl of homemade frosting beside the tray with several small bottles of food coloring in front of it. One of them had a pink cap, which Tammy was quickly drawn to and picked up with her little fingers.

"Don't even think about it!"

Tammy squeaked and looked over her shoulder, finding her older sister standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "Think –bout what?"

"Dyeing that frosting pink," Vanessa sighed, pointing at the bowl.

Tammy glanced at the food coloring in her hand, and then the frosting. "But pink is so pretty!"

"To _you_ ," Vanessa replied. "Gramm-s and I made those cupcakes for Mom's birthday, and her favorite color is green."

"Green's ugly," Tammy complained, scrunching up her nose.

"Again, to you," Vanessa muttered, moving forward and plucking the food coloring from Tammy's hand. "Your birthday is next month, you can have pink cupcakes then."

"But how come Grammy left all the colors out?" Tammy asked, pointing at the other bottles of food coloring.

"They all just came out of a box," Vanessa explained.

"How come Grammy didn't just buy green frosting?" Tammy continued.

"She says everything tastes better when we make it ourselves," Vanessa recited. "And she's right!"

"Mommy just buys frosting from the store," Tammy noted.

"Um, yeah…"

"Why doesn't Mommy make it like Grammy?"

"I don't think she can."

"Why?"

"She says she's not as good at cooking or baking as Grammy is."

"Why?"

Vanessa furrowed her brow. "I don't know. How come you're asking so many questions?"

"I like 'em!" Tammy giggled.

"Well, I think that's enough of them for now," Vanessa sighed.

Tammy twisted her mouth and turned back around to look at the cupcakes again. "I wanna help!"

Vanessa seemed hesitant as soon as those words left her little sister's mouth. It's not that she didn't want the girl's help, but Tammy wasn't always the best at listening to other people or following instructions. Vanessa wanted her mother's special birthday surprise to come out _perfect,_ and that was certainly no guarantee with Tammy helping out.

"Please?" Tammy chirped, clasping her hands together as she leaned forward on her toes.

Vanessa sighed and slumped her shoulder. Sometimes she hated how cute Tammy was…it made it pretty hard to say no to her, and the little girl knew it.

"Fine," Vanessa finally relented.

"Yay!" Tammy cheered.

"But you have to listen to me and Gramm-s, okay?" Vanessa ordered. "No doing your own thing or getting all creative!"

"Okay!" Tammy squeaked.

"Alright, Vanessa, ready to start decorating those cupcakes?"

Johanna had just walked into the kitchen, drying off her hands on her apron. When she realized Tammy was standing next to her older sister, the grandmother beamed at her youngest grandchild. "Well, look who's up from their nap!"

"Grammy, Vanny said I could help!" Tammy crowed.

"She did?" Johanna asked. "Well that was very sweet of her!"

Tammy grinned and nodded her head.

"The cupcakes should certainly be cool enough by now to start putting the icing on them," Johanna continued, walking over to the table. "We'll have to dye it first before we put it in the icing bag!"

"Bag?" Tammy repeated. "You put frosting in a bag, Grammy?"

"Yes, that's how we get it to come out in a big swirl!" Johanna confirmed.

"Oooh," Tammy cooed. "Mommy doesn't do that!"

"I told you, I don't think she _can_ ," Vanessa stressed.

"Grammy can teach Mommy!" Tammy cried.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow and glanced over at her grandmother. "Can you?"

"I've tried…" Johanna hummed awkwardly. "But it isn't easy, you know! It takes a lot of practice."

"Mommy's not pash-int," Tammy murmured, shaking her head.

Johanna appeared confused, to which Vanessa helpfully informed her, "I think she means patient."

"Oh!" Johanna breathed, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "Tam, your mommy is very patient! Like I said, it's not an easy thing to do!"

Vanessa pursed her lips before bending down to whisper to her younger sister, "I think you're probably right and Grammy's just being nice."

"Mommy gets mad easy," Tammy added, nodding her head.

Vanessa smirked and stood back up straight. "So, green for the frosting, right?"

"Yes!" Johanna confirmed, removing the bright green top from one of the bottles of food coloring. "Now, we want to make sure we use just the right amount so it comes out the right shade of green!"

"Bright green!" Tammy cried.

"That's what we're going for," Vanessa confirmed.

Johanna tilted the bottle and squeezed three small drops of liquid into the frosting. Tammy leaned in to get a better look, frowning when she saw the drops. "That's too dark, Grammy!"

"They look dark now, but it'll look a lot different once we start mixing it in with the frosting," Johanna explained to the little girl. "It's almost like magic!"

"I wanna see!" Tammy gasped.

Johanna giggled and handed Vanessa a large spoon. "Vanessa, why don't you show Tammy what I mean?"

"Sure!" Vanessa chirped.

The older girl began to mix the frosting, folding in the drops of food coloring as she moved the spoon. Tammy watched intently, her eyes widening as the white frosting slowly began to turn a pretty spring green color.

"Whoa!" Tammy breathed. "Grammy, look!"

"See? It's cool!" Johanna laughed softly. "And Vanessa is doing an excellent job of mixing everything together, isn't she?"

"Uh huh," Tammy murmured.

After stirring for a few more seconds, Vanessa tilted the bowl towards her grandmother and asked, "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect!" Johanna replied. "Are you happy with it?"

"I think so…" Vanessa trailed off, taking another look inside the bowl.

"No!"

Vanessa furrowed her brow and turned her head. "What do you mean no?"

"More green," Tammy complained, pointing at the frosting.

"Really? You don't think this is green enough?" Vanessa questioned. Tammy shook her head. "I don't know…I think if we add more, it'll be _too_ green."

"Nuh uh!" Tammy argued. "More green!"

Johanna hummed and took a look in the bowl herself. "I think Vanessa has a point, dear. We don't want the frosting to come out too dark! Then it won't look as pretty on the cupcakes."

This didn't seem to do much to placate Tammy. The little girl was convinced the frosting wasn't green enough, and no one was listening to her. So she started to pout, crossing her arms as she shot her glare at her sister and grandmother.

"Grammy…" Vanessa groaned.

"It's alright, you two," Johanna assured the girls, wanting to keep them from starting a fight. "We have lots of other things to decorate the cupcakes with after we've iced them! You'll be able to make the cupcakes look however you'd like!"

 _This_ managed to get a big smile out of Tammy, but now it was Vanessa's turn to look displeased. "I thought all of the cupcakes were going to look the same!"

Johanna was taken off guard by the sudden shift in her granddaughters' dispositions. "Well…it's okay if they look a bit different! That just makes it more fun, right?"

Vanessa frowned. "Not really…"

"How about we just put the frosting on the cupcakes first, and then we'll deal with all the other decorations?" Johanna asked, picking up the frosting bag for emphasis. "There's not much we can do with plain cupcakes, after all!"

"Yay!" Tammy cheered. Vanessa, on the other hand, was now directing her own glare directly at the younger girl.

Johanna laughed nervously and moved one of the trays towards them. "Right, frosting first!"

 **XXX**

As soon as Vanessa's eyes fell onto the plate of cupcakes in front of her younger sister, they nearly fell out of her head.

"Tam, what are you doing?!" Vanessa cried.

Tammy was unaffected by her sister's obvious horror. She thought her cupcakes were just beautiful! The beautiful swirls of green frosting atop each cupcake were adorned by tiny candy pearls, rainbow sprinkles in the shapes of stars, edible gold glitter, a toothpick with a paper animal at its tip, and drizzles and globs of pink gel.

"Dec-ating!" Tammy finally replied, a cheerful infliction in her voice.

"They're so-"

"Pretty!" Johanna quickly interrupted her older granddaughter. Vanessa shot her grandmother a look of disbelief, to which Johanna replied, "Tam's worked very hard on her cupcakes, and she really likes them!"

"I have the prettiest ones!" Tammy added.

Vanessa growled lowly. Tammy's cupcakes were incredibly sloppy, and anyone who looked at them would know that. _Her_ cupcakes, however, were perfect. She had made sure each one came out meticulously, and as identical as possible. They were neat and pretty and exactly what Vanessa had wanted them to be!

Tammy's cupcakes were going to ruin the whole thing.

"Am I allowed to come in the kitchen yet?"

Vanessa gasped, but couldn't protest before Tammy replied, "uh huh!"

Hilary stepped into the kitchen, her calm expression evolving into one of excitement as soon as she saw the cupcakes on the table.

"Oh, is _this_ why you all kicked me out of here?" Hilary asked.

"Yeah…" Vanessa sighed.

"Birthday cupcakes for Mommy!" Tammy squealed.

"They smell amazing!" Hilary breathed. "And they look even better!"

"Seriously?" Vanessa deadpanned.

"Of course," Hilary giggled. "Why, you don't think so?"

"No…I didn't say that…" Vanessa stammered.

"Yeah, but you sounded pretty surprised," Hilary snickered.

"Mommy, look!" Tammy cried, running over to her mother and pulling at her hand. "Look at mine!"

The little girl "dragged" her mother over to the table, pointing at the cupcakes she had decorated.

"You did those all by yourself?" Hilary gasped.

"Ya!" Tammy confirmed.

"They're beautiful!" Hilary crowed. "You did a great job, sprinkle!"

"I did, Mommy!" Tammy agreed. "I worked hard!"

"I can tell!" Hilary giggled.

Vanessa was surprised. Her mom seemed to _genuinely_ like Tammy's cupcakes. Then again, she supposed that was part of her job as a mom. She couldn't really tell her own daughter that her cupcakes looked silly. It was still pretty nice of her, Vanessa decided.

"What about mine, Mommy?" Vanessa asked, pointing at her own cupcakes.

Hilary took a look at those and another big smile flashed on her face. "Yours are beautiful too, Vanny! You're both so talented! And I'm very grateful that I have two beautiful daughters who love me enough to make me a special birthday surprise like this!"

Vanessa giggled and offered her mother her own grin. "Of course!"

"Would it be alright if I ate one now?" Hilary asked slyly.

"Nuh uh!" Tammy cried. "Mommy, you can't eat cupcakes before dinner!"

"Even when they're _my_ birthday cupcakes?" Hilary gasped.

"No," Tammy confirmed, shaking her head.

"Oh, alright," Hilary sighed, though she was still smiling. "I'll wait until after dinner, then!"

"Good!" Tammy declared. "Me and Vanny are gonna play with Daddy and Al now!"

Vanessa blinked hard. "We are?"

Tammy nodded and ran forward to grab her sister's hands. "Let's go!"

Vanessa raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless followed after her younger sister. Hilary smirked at the two as they went, while Johanna let out a relieved sigh and turned towards her daughter.

"I'm glad to see them getting along again," Johanna murmured.

"Were they not?" Hilary asked, tilting her head.

"It wasn't anything serious, but they were both getting a bit testy with one another," Johanna explained. "I'm used to seeing Vanessa argue with Alan occasionally, but not her and Tammy."

"Yeah, Tammy is starting to realize she can use her words _and_ her little fists as sparring tools just as well as her big brother and sister," Hilary snickered, using her finger to scoop up some leftover icing from the bowl and eat it. "Growing up really is a curse, though I think more so for Tyson and I than it is for the kids."

"Has she started doing that often?" Johanna asked timidly.

"Not _too_ often," Hilary laughed. "I think she's still figuring out how exactly to take them on. But I _will_ say she's getting good at it pretty quickly. Tyson is a little freaked out by it."

"I must admit I was a little taken off guard by it myself," Johanna chuckled nervously. "But considering you're an only child…I'm assuming that's fair."

"Very much so," Hilary agreed.

"I hope this isn't putting a damper on your birthday," Johanna fretted.

"It's not, I promise!" Hilary assured with a giggle. "When the kids are doing sweet things, like making me cupcakes, it's pretty easy for me to forget about any of their petty little arguments."

Johanna seemed impressed by Hilary's calmness. "So you're not concerned about them playing outside together?"

"No, they're with Tyson," Hilary refuted. "Even if they start to fight, Tyson needs a bit more practice dealing with it and separating them. I'm kind of considering that my birthday gift from him."

Johanna smirked. "Does he know that?"

"No," Hilary replied simply. "I'm just hoping he figures it out along the way."

"Really? My son-in-law?"

"Wishful thinking, I know. But hey, maybe I'll have a birthday miracle this year!"


	45. Chapter 45: Supermarket Torture

**Don't you hate it when your parents take you shopping, and all you do is push the cart, bribed by some sweets or chips. At least that always happened to me.**

* * *

Alan and Vanessa both looked like they were on their way to be tortured.

Tammy, on the other hand, was quite cheerful, but that really wasn't unusual for the toddler. Her disposition was usually very cheery no matter what.

The kids couldn't understand that, especially when their parents were dragging them all to the supermarket. Well…their mother was. Their father wasn't exactly thrilled with going either, but he tended to complain a bit less since _this_ kind of shopping was at least for food, which he was actually passionate about.

"It's not so bad," Hilary reasoned with the pouty kids as they walked up to the sliding glass doors, which delighted the little girl in her arms. "Maybe you two will find something new to try!"

"We always want to buy candy but you don't let us!" Alan whined.

"That's not true," Hilary calmly argued. "I don't let you buy _all of_ the candy."

"That's just as bad," Alan muttered.

Hilary sighed and sat Tammy in the seat of a shopping cart. "I promise it won't take long. Does that help at all?"

"No," Alan quickly replied.

"Didn't think so," Hilary puffed. "Tyson, maybe you could try and find a way to keep those two entertained."

No response.

"Tyson?"

Hilary raised an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. Tyson had somehow managed to wander away from her in the span of 30 seconds, and was currently standing in front of a cookie display, mesmerized by it. Hilary pulled up behind him, her brow furrowed.

"Seriously?" She breathed.

Tyson whipped around, obviously startled, but that quickly gave way to a sheepish smile. "I can't help it; they look really good!"

"So I'm assuming you didn't hear anything I just said to you," Hilary said, crossing her arms.

Tyson hummed thoughtfully, then scratched his chin as he furrowed his brow, before shrugging and admitting, "Nope, guess not."

Hilary groaned and rolled her eyes. "Alan and Vanessa are both _miserable_ and we haven't even stepped foot in the store yet. I was hoping you could try and put them in a good mood, considering you're not the biggest fan of the supermarket either."

"That's not true!" Tyson cried. "The supermarket is great! It's filled with nothing but food."

"Yeah, but spending an afternoon here isn't exactly your first choice," Hilary replied.

"Fair enough," Tyson relented.

While his parents were speaking to one another, Alan reached into his pocket and pulled out a fistful of bird food, scattering it on the floor. Vanessa watched with a raised eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing.

"Just keep them happy," Hilary pleaded. "Or at least out of trouble."

"That I can do!" Tyson assured her, throwing in a playful salute for good measure. He sauntered over to the kids, who were both still sporting miserable expressions. "Come on, guys. The supermarket isn't that bad! You can always find some really cool stuff here."

Vanessa scurried up to her father's side, grabbing his hand with her own and gazing up at him. "Can we get fruit snacks?"

"Yeah, sure!" Tyson replied.

"And apples?"

"Of course!"

"And candy?" Alan chimed in, wiggling his eyebrows.

"We can get _some_ candy," Tyson reasoned with his son. "Not the whole aisle, kay champ?"

Alan didn't seem completely satisfied with that clause, but he let out a long sigh and gave in with a weary, "okay."

The two children followed their father into the store, Alan still holding onto his hand. Tammy, who from her seat in the shopping cart, was tilting herself to the side to look around her mother at her father and older siblings. Tyson caught sight of her and laughed, giving the toddler a small, playful wave. She unleashed a sharp, near shrieking laugh, leading Hilary to smirk.

"You're so easy to entertain," Hilary giggled.

"Daddy!" Tammy squeaked, pointing in front of her.

Hilary turned her head and caught Tyson waving at their young daughter. "Oh, I see. Daddy is playing with you! You like that, huh?"

"I –ove Daddy," Tammy commented.

"Me too," Hilary agreed, her voice dripping with sweetness.

Their first stop was the produce section, filled with fruits and vegetables. Vanessa was instantly drawn to the apples; easily her favorite fruit and probably one of her favorite foods period. She excitedly scanned the selection, a wide range of every color apple from red to yellow to green. Tyson bent down beside his eldest daughter, grinning at her obvious exuberance.

"See any good ones?" He asked.

"There!" Vanessa quickly replied, pointing at one of the red apples. It was front and center of the whole bunch, perfectly round with flawless skin that was the color of a ruby.

"Oh yeah, it does look good!" Tyson agreed. "We'll definitely get that one."

Tyson stood back up to his full height just in time for Hilary to hand him a plastic bag to begin collecting the apples. Alan, meanwhile, was allowing his brown eyes to wander all over the place, and they finally settled on some intricate looking technological contraption a few feet away. Blinking, Alan walked towards it, trying to examine it more closely. He stood on his toes, gazing up at the machine's screen which was currently blank. Finally, Alan gave up trying to figure out what it was himself and turned his head towards his parents.

"What's this?" Alan asked bluntly.

"It's a produce scale," Hilary answered. "You use it to weigh your fruits and vegetables to see how much you'll have to pay for them!"

"Here, check this out," Tyson added, walking over next to Alan and placing the now full bag of apples on the scale. The screen suddenly jumped to life, much to Alan's fascination, and displayed the total weight of the gathered apples. "What's it say, buddy?"

"One," Alan squeaked.

"Yep, these apples weigh one pound!" Tyson replied, taking the bag off the scale. "So now we know they'll charge us for one pound of apples."

Alan contemplated this for a moment. "So can you weigh _anything_ on that scale?"

"Yeah!" Tyson chuckled. "Fruits, vegetables, nuts…anything you want!"

Alan's eyes lit up, and Tyson puffed his chest out just a bit. Maybe he actually _could_ get Alan and Vanessa to like being at the supermarket! That was quite the accomplishment, in his opinion.

"Tyson, will you help me pick out some vegetables?" Hilary requested. "The kids will just tell me not to get any of them."

"Sure thing," Tyson laughed, knowing she was right. "Can you two keep an eye on your little sister while we go look at the vegetables? We'll just be right over there!"

He pointed to a display a few feet away, and Alan and Vanessa both nodded their heads. As soon as his parents walked away, Alan lifted Tammy out of the cart, causing her to giggle happily.

"What're you doing?" Vanessa asked, folding her arms.

"Don't worry about it," Alan replied, carrying Tammy right past her.

"I am!" Vanessa cried, following after him.

Alan brought the toddler right over to the produce scale he had been examining shortly beforehand. Lifting up onto the balls of his feet, Alan sat Tammy on the scale, earning more delighted laughter from his little sister.

"Alan!" Vanessa gasped, her eyes widening. "You can't do that!"

"Then how come I am?" Alan fired back.

"Cause you're a clod!" Vanessa snapped.

Ignoring his sister's insult, Alan glanced up at the scale's screen. "Look! Tam weighs 21 pounds! Boy, that's really light! I weigh a lot more than that!"

"Yeah, cause you're older," Vanessa grumbled. "Now get Tam off that thing!"

"Let's weigh me next!" Alan gasped, his smile widening.

"Alan, stop!" Vanessa whined. "You're going to get us in trouble!"

"Quit worrying so much!" Alan groaned. "You're never any fun."

" _Alan!_ "

The boy hardly had any time to look over his shoulder before his mother swooped in and yanked Tammy off the produce scale.

"That isn't for weighing people!" Hilary scolded.

"But it worked!" Alan cried. "Tam is 21 pounds, Mom."

"Good to know," Hilary sighed. "But you're not supposed to put anything on there other than food, alright?"

Alan scowled, while Vanessa leaned in close to him and whispered tauntingly, "told you were gonna get in trouble."

"Mom, Vanessa is being annoying!" Alan practically shouted.

"Alan, inside voice!" Hilary hissed. "And Van, be nice to your brother."

"I didn't do anything!" Vanessa cried. "I told him he was gonna get in trouble for putting Tam up there but he didn't listen to me!"

"Yeah, so she rubbed it in my face," Alan grumbled.

"Vanessa, that's not necessary," Hilary replied. She turned towards Tyson, who was just finishing placing some vegetables in the cart. "Please help me."

He looked up at her with wide eyes and a completely clueless expression. It took everything in Hilary's power to hold back a yell of frustration.

"You didn't see any of that, did you?" Hilary deadpanned.

"Um…no," Tyson admitted.

"Alan was using the produce scale to weigh Tammy," Hilary groaned.

Now exasperated, Tyson glanced down at Alan. "Son, that's not for weighing people."

"Then why'd it work?" Alan asked.

"Just because it works doesn't mean you should use it that way," Tyson sighed. "Come on, let's try and stay out of trouble, okay?"

Alan whined, but decided to follow after his father without any vocal protest. Vanessa sidled up to her father's opposite side, staring up at him as she batted her eyelashes.

"Daddy, can we pick out some ice cream?" Vanessa asked.

Alan's cloudy disposition changed instantly, and he showed off a toothy grin. "Yeah, ice cream!"

"We usually wait until the end to pick it out so it's not sitting in the cart and melting," Tyson reminded the two. "Nothing worse than melted ice cream!"

"But can't we just go look at them so we can decide what we want?" Vanessa pleaded.

Tyson groaned. He figured it was a pretty harmless request, and if it could get the two out of Hilary's hair for even a few minutes, she probably wouldn't object.

"Hil, is it okay if I take Alan and Vanessa to look at the ice cream?" Tyson called.

Hilary tilted her head ever so slightly, Tammy following the motion just to copy her. "We still have the whole store to get through. You're going to pick out ice cream now?"

"No, they just want to look and decide what they want," Tyson explained. "I told them we have to wait until the end to actually put it in the cart."

"Oh, then sure!" Hilary chirped. "You three have fun! Tam and I will keep on the course. Right, sweetie?"

Tammy beamed and nodded her head.

With that settled, Alan and Vanessa began to clamor around their father, shouting out various flavors of ice cream they wanted.

"Hold on, we haven't even gotten there yet!" Tyson cried. "We have to see what they have!"

He started to head in the direction of the freezer aisle, with the kids still nagging him. This little scene earned them a few stares, most of which wound up lingering because it was the Beyblade Champion and his children. Most of the citizens of the city were used to seeing them there, but that didn't mean they didn't still stare. It could be pretty jarring to see a celebrity just walking around a supermarket, even though Tyson didn't think of himself that way.

"Guys, let's try and keep it down a bit," Tyson requested. "We don't want to bother anyone."

"We're not, Daddy!" Vanessa chirped. "We just wanna see the ice cream!"

"I know, and we're going," Tyson sighed. "I just want you two to use your inside voices, okay? It isn't nice to be screaming and running around in a store."

Fortunately, that seemed to settle Alan and Vanessa, at least for the time being. They made it to the freezer aisle without any further incident, and the siblings busied themselves with pressing their faces against the glass doors to get a better look at the ice cream inside.

Tyson was just relieved that they had settled down and were no longer creating a fuss. As he took a quick breather, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a wide array of frozen waffles. Turning his head, he saw from a distance all of the different flavors and his eyes widened a significant degree.

"You guys keep on looking," Tyson called to the kids. "I'm just gonna head over here real quick…"

"Kay," Alan and Vanessa droned.

As Tyson walked away, Vanessa looked up and down the freezer and wondered aloud, "how cold do you think it is in there?"

"I dunno, probably really super cold," Alan replied. "They've gotta keep all that ice cream in there!"

"I bet an Arctic animal would like to live in there," Vanessa noted.

Alan thought about it for a moment before perking up. "Let's find out!"

Vanessa furrowed her brow, sarcastically. "Oh yeah, they are selling Penguins on Aisle 4!"

"No, but you know all about that kind of stuff!" Alan replied. "You read about Geography all the time. So if _you_ went in the freezer-"

"Nuh uh!" Vanessa cried.

"Why?" Alan asked. "It's probably a lot of fun!"

"Then _you_ go in," Vanessa grumbled.

"Kay!" Alan squeaked.

Before Vanessa could protest, Alan opened up the freezer door and hopped inside, trying to close the door once he was in. She was alarmed, but he was giggling like a maniac, even as she pulled the door back open.

"Alan, get out!" Vanessa hissed. "We're gonna get in trouble!"

"You always say that," Alan muttered.

"Cause it's always true!" Vanessa cried.

"Nuh uh," Alan refuted. "Come on, it's fun! Just try it!"

Vanessa did not seem convinced. Alan just hopped out of the freezer and held the door open for his elder sister, who took a step back.

"I won't close the door on ya," Alan assured her. "But I promise, it's fun! You get to feel like a Polar Bear!"

Vanessa was still wary, but she finally climbed up into the freezer, clutching the side as she stared back at her brother.

"Well?" Alan asked.

"It's nice in here," Vanessa finally admitted, a smile appearing on her face. "It's really cold! I bet if I was a penguin, I could live in here forever!"

"Want me to close the door now?" Alan asked.

"Okay!" Vanessa giggled.

Just as soon as Alan swung the door shut, however, someone stopped it right before it could close. The boy winced and glanced up, already knowing who was responsible.

"What are you two doing now?!" Tyson cried.

"We're just playing!" Alan whined.

"You can't play inside the _freezer!_ " Tyson hissed.

"But we were," Alan commented.

Tyson let out a frustrated sigh. "But you _shouldn't_ be." He reached in with his free arm and pulled Vanessa out of the freezer, closing the door once she was in his grasp. "Let's just go back to Mommy and-"

He was cut off by a ruckus; a mix of frantic cries and screaming and exclamations. Tyson's eyebrows shot up at all the noise, while Alan and Vanessa both tilted their heads. Before they could even process it, a pigeon soared right above the trio, causing them all to look up.

"Whoa!" Alan breathed.

"Uh…what just happened?" Tyson muttered.

"A pigeon got in the store!" Alan laughed, as though he were being helpful by explaining it to his father.

"Why'd it come in here?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm really not sure," Tyson replied. "They don't normally just go into crowded, indoor places like this."

Alan thought about it for a moment, and suddenly, his entire face lit up. "My Bird feed! It worked!"

Tyson blinked hard and whipped his head down towards his son. "What do you mean your bird feed?"

Vanessa gasped. "Alan had seeds in his pockets, Daddy! And he threw them on the floor when we came in here!"

Tyson's facial expression suddenly reflected horror. Alan began laughing wildly, his own face still glowing. "It worked! Now I'll catch that pigeon!"

"Alan, you aren't gonna catch _anything!_ " Tyson howled. "All you did was got a wild pigeon to wreak havoc in the supermarket!"

"Yeah, but if I had a net I could catch it," Alan reasoned with him.

"Why is everyone going nuts in here?"

Tyson felt a violent chill go up his spine. Hilary had suddenly appeared at the end of the aisle, an eyebrow raised. Tammy, who was still sitting in the cart, seemed blissfully unaware of the panic and was busy singing to herself as she held a package of fish crackers in her hands.

"There's a Pigeon in the store!" Alan announced, leading Tyson to smack a hand over his face.

"A Pigeon?" Hilary repeated, sounding incredulous.

"It flew right over us, Mom!" Alan continued excitedly.

"How exactly does a Pigeon get into a supermarket?" Hilary wondered aloud. "I mean, I know through the front door, but…why? They don't like to be confined. That poor thing must be terrified…which is _probably_ why everyone in this store is terrified."

"Birds sure can be weird sometimes!" Tyson laughed nervously, hoping his wife would stop thinking so much.

"This little shopping trip just keeps getting more and more insane," Hilary sighed. "I think we'd better hurry up and finish so we can get out of here."

"Yes!" Alan and Vanessa cheered simultaneously, much to their mother's frustration.

"At least they're finally happy," she breathed, moving on with the cart in her hands.

Tyson whined and looked down at Alan again, who was still sporting a massive, goofy grin. "Not a word to your mother about that bird food, understood?"

"Yeah, sure!" Alan assured him. "As long as I get out of here soon, I won't say a thing!"


	46. Chapter 46: Drunken Love

**The subject is drinking. Toxic as they are, still a sip takes relieves you from a lot of stress. ;)**

* * *

Of all the things Hilary could've been doing tonight, or at least wanting to do, having dinner with her husband's new manager, the guy who replaced her was at the bottom of her list.

It was usually insufferable regardless, but at the moment, the situation was made even worse by the fact that Hilary was pregnant…the reason she had to take a sabbatical from being her husband's manager and she and Tyson had neglected to reveal this information to Derek just yet. She was still relatively early on, not even two months yet, so that played into the decision. But they also hadn't told him yet because they knew Derek would freak, so they had to find a way to do it delicately, and neither of them had come up with a good solution yet.

The task of telling Derek that Hilary was expecting, in a sense, was actually worse than having to tell their own children.

Sitting in the booth at the pricey, upscale restaurant in downtown Tokyo, Hilary was only grateful she hadn't had any bouts of morning sickness that day. The week prior, at the BBA Headquarters, she'd been pretty seriously ill, and it was incredibly difficult to hide that fact, especially from her fellow mates and other executives. If she were to be dealing with it in this small space, right under Derek's nose…it would've been a bonafide disaster.

It was just her and Tyson for now, which she was grateful for. He, however, couldn't stop watching her toy with her bright auburn hair, which she had tied off into a low side ponytail that would rest against the front of her shoulder when she wasn't threading it through her fingers.

"You nervous?" Tyson asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What gave it away?" Hilary murmured, staring straight ahead.

Tyson smirked and reached out to gently lower her hand, which finally got Hilary's attention. "Just chill, okay? He's not gonna know anything is up if we just act normal."

Hilary seemed to heed his advice for a grand total of 30 seconds. When she felt she was going to explode from anxiety again, she turned back towards Tyson and rushed out, "do you think I should call Grandpa to check on the kids?"

Tyson searched her face before replying "no. Why would you? Everything was fine when we left them."

"I don't know," Hilary whined, throwing both her hands down. "I'm just…a mess?"

She hadn't meant for the last part to come out as a question, but her own voice had betrayed her. Tyson's sly smile returned, and he slowly shook his head.

"Just try and enjoy yourself," he tried again. "I know Derek can get on your nerves, but it's only dinner. It'll be over before you know it!"

"So sorry I'm late!"

Tyson and Hilary looked up as Derek rushed up to the table, very red in the face and sounding quite out of breath.

"Geez Derek, did you run here?" Tyson questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Derek puffed, squeezing himself into the left-hand side of the semi-circle booth. "It took me _forever_ to find a parking spot, and it's not even near the restaurant. I only started to rush when I realized what time it was."

"You're not even 10 minutes late," Hilary reasoned with the man. "It's not a big deal. I would know; I'm married to the _king_ of being late to _everything._ "

Tyson adopted a deadpan expression as Hilary took a slow sip from her water glass.

"Fair point," Derek conceded. "But I'm very much used to being on time, so for me this is out of character. But don't worry – I'll make it up to the two of you."

Neither Tyson nor Hilary had any idea what Derek meant by that. It didn't take long for them to get an answer, though, as Derek flagged down the first waiter he happened to see.

"Yes, I'd like a bottle of your finest wine, thank you," he instructed the waiter, who bowed in response.

Hilary stiffened at the mention of alcohol. While Tyson's reaction wasn't as edged, he was still taken off guard by the request. "Derek, you really didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense, I insist," Derek dismissed, waving a hand at a visibly unsure Tyson. "It'll be a nice treat for all of us."

When the bottle arrived, an apparently very pricey sauvignon blanc imported directly from France, three glasses were automatically poured. Not like Hilary would have rejected it anyway; if she had, then Derek would've _definitely_ known something was up.

He was the first to take a sip of the wine, grinning afterwards. "That's incredible. There's nothing worse than having an expensive wine that doesn't match in taste."

Tyson took a small sip himself and wrinkled his nose as the potent liquid went down. "It's good. I don't think it tastes any different than the wine Gramps buys from the liquor store down the lane, though."

Derek sighed, clearly exasperated that Tyson still didn't understand or appreciate the finer things in life. He then turned his attention onto Hilary, and twisted his mouth when he realized that her wine glass was still untouched.

"Hilary, you haven't tried it yet," Derek pointed out.

"Huh?" Hilary babbled, picking her head up. She'd been busy staring down at her hands, zoning out. There was nothing there, but she still spouted out the excuse, "sorry, I was texting Gramps."

Derek still seemed perplexed. "Isn't he watching over Alan and Vanessa?''

"Yes," Hilary breathed, quickly nodding her head. "I was just checking in."

"Hmm," Derek hummed. He obviously wasn't too interested. "Well, you have to try the wine! You've got a far more refined palette for these things than Tyson does."

Once again, Tyson looked offended. Hilary, however, was too discombobulated to laugh. Knowing she'd have to get Derek off her back somehow, she raised the glass to her lips and tilted it back, causing Tyson to grow wide eyed.

"Oh yeah, that's great!" Hilary concurred once she put the glass down, beaming at Derek.

"The floral notes really stand out, don't they?" Derek asked. He and Hilary butted heads often, but he did enjoy discussing fine foods and alcohol with her, since she had relatively good knowledge of such things. Of course, she wasn't at someone like _Ray's_ level, but she knew enough to keep Derek appeased.

"Yes, it really gives a unique profile," Hilary agreed.

Derek smiled to himself, clearly proud of his choice, before picking up his menu and burying his face in it.

" _Hilary!_ " Tyson hissed under his breath, making sure Derek couldn't see or hear him.

"I didn't drink it!" Hilary growled back just as softly, which caused Tyson to relax. "I only made it _look_ like I did."

"Oh, that's smart," Tyson whispered, now sounding impressed.

"Thanks, except I've got to find a way to get rid of the rest of it," Hilary groaned.

"Just don't drink it," Tyson replied as though it were obvious.

"That's not gonna work!" Hilary cried, though her voice was still low. "Derek's gonna wonder why it's just sitting there, especially after I just praised it like that."

Tyson was troubled. He knew Hilary was right, but he wasn't sure how to take care of her glass. After all, it wasn't like they were sitting near a plant that she could just pour the wine into. That thought, however, gave him another idea. It was one he wasn't exactly fond of, but this was a situation where he was willing to do whatever it took to help Hilary out…even if it wasn't his preference.

With Derek's face still behind his menu, Tyson picked up Hilary's wine glass and downed the alcohol in three big gulps. Now it was Hilary's turn to gawk, watching with unblinking eyes and a slack jaw as Tyson put the glass down and made a disgusted face.

"I think I found exactly what I…oh, wow. You must've _really_ liked the wine, Hilary."

The still stunned brunette took another look at her empty glass. "Oh…yeah! It was so good; I just couldn't help myself!"

"Good thing I got a whole bottle," Derek remarked, lifting it from its perch inside the marble cooler and pouring more for the woman.

Hilary offered Derek a weak smile, her anxiety peaking all over again. Tyson, on the other hand, was unhappy but also undeterred. He took a long sip from his own glass, knowing Derek would notice if his went untouched as well. Whenever Derek _wasn't_ looking, Tyson would take a sip from Hilary's glass. This little game continued until both Tyson _and_ Hilary's glasses were empty, which prompted Derek to pour more for both before either could protest.

"Tyson, stop," Hilary hissed to her husband when he took another sip of her wine while Derek spoke to the waiter. "You cannot handle all of that wine."

"I've got to, Hil," Tyson groaned after swallowing his latest sip. "We can't just let it sit here."

"This is your fourth and fifth glass," Hilary sighed. "You _know_ you don't hold your liquor well."

"I'll be…fine," Tyson assured her, taking a long pause between the last two words. Hilary narrowed her eyes. He was getting tipsy, and fast.

"This is getting out of hand," Hilary grumbled. "Let's just be honest with Derek. It'll be easier that way."

Tyson quickly shook his head. "Not yet."

"Not yet what?"

Tyson blinked hard and turned towards Derek, who had an eyebrow raised.

"I…meant I'm not full yet!" Tyson blurted, a bit too loudly. "I'm _definitely_ gonna have room for dessert!"

Derek intoned and went back to his steak. "Not surprising."

Tyson sighed and took another sip of Hilary's wine, much to her horror. Once he was done, Tyson put down the glass and smirked at his disturbed wife.

"You know…I'm actually feeling pretty good!"

Hilary just rolled her eyes and rested her head in her hand. She was in for _some_ kind of night.

 **XXX**

Tyson was not a big drinker.

For the most part, he thought almost all alcohol tasted pretty bad. He'd developed a bit more of an acceptance for it with age, mostly to fit in with his buddies like Max or Ray whenever they hung out. But even then, he rarely drank more than one glass or bottle of anything. For the most part, he still found the taste off-putting, and he also had a pretty low tolerance for the stuff.

Hilary had a much higher tolerance for alcohol. She could easily drink half a bottle of wine on her own before getting a buzz, though it wasn't exactly something Hilary was proud of.

She had seen Tyson drunk once, _maybe_ twice, in her life. He certainly hadn't been since Vanessa was born. Tyson was very conscientious of how he behaved when his children were around, and even when they weren't, he had them in the back of his mind.

But this time, he really didn't have much of a choice. He had only done it to protect Hilary. For that, she felt pretty bad, even though she'd tried to convince him repeatedly not to drink her share on top of his own. As soon as he'd hit his tipping point, however, there was no going back. Tyson was feeling no pain, and he was _really_ enjoying it.

Driving home hadn't been difficult for Hilary. Dragging her husband into the house, on the other hand, was. He weighed twice as much as she did, after all, and him stumbling around didn't make it any easier.

As Hilary struggled to get him up the stairs, after kicking her heels off by the door so as to not further burden herself, all she could think was how grateful she was that Alan, and Vanessa were spending the night at Tyson's old home. The last thing she needed them to see was this pathetic display.

As soon as she reached their bedroom, Hilary practically threw Tyson onto the bed. She let out an exhausted sigh and bent over, grasping at her knees.

"Okay, that would've been too much even if I _wasn't_ pregnant," Hilary grumbled, finally standing up to her full height.

Tyson suddenly started to laugh wildly as he flung himself back up, grinning at Hilary with a smile that looked like it might crack his face in half.

"What, you think that's funny?" Hilary deadpanned.

Without any warning, Tyson started to swing his arms around, pulling a determined face as he did so. Hilary watched for a few seconds before deciding it was _insanely_ cringey and she needed some answers.

"What're you doing?" She sighed.

"Galaxy Storm!" Tyson announced, his voice several decibels too high. "Go, Dragoon!"

"God, you're so drunk," Hilary muttered. "Will you survive for 15 minutes if I go take a quick shower?"

Tyson lowered his arms and tried slinking towards Hilary, eventually getting too close to the end of the bed and falling right over on his head.

"That's a resounding no," Hilary squeaked, wincing at her husband's less than graceful tumble. "Tyson, are you alright?"

Staying in the same position, he started laughing all over again. That told Hilary he either wasn't hurt, or he was just too far gone to feel it. If she had to guess, it was the latter.

"Come on, get up," she breathed, clutching the stiff material of his dress shirt to try and help him back onto the bed. It worked, but took about all of the energy Hilary had left right out of her. Rolling her eyes, she threw herself down on the bed and let out an exhausted huff.

It was when she landed next to him that Tyson stopped laughing. Adopting a more curious look, Tyson crawled over to her and gently shook her shoulder. Hilary slowly turned her head, her eyes flickering with confusion. As soon as she looked at him, Tyson let out a relieved sigh and slumped his shoulders. "Good, you're alive."

Hilary blinked. "You…thought I wasn't?"

Tyson made a bewildered noise and shrugged.

"Well, if I can't shower, the least you can let me do is get into pajamas," Hilary sighed, pushing herself back up. "You should do the same. You're gonna need to sleep this off _big_ time."

"-m fine," Tyson slurred.

"I might've believed that if you didn't sound totally sloshed," Hilary snickered. She just couldn't help herself. It was a _little_ funny. She knew it wouldn't be in the morning, though, hence her insistence that Tyson try and go to bed.

"Wait!" Tyson cried, leading Hilary to raise an eyebrow. It was the most coherent Tyson had sounded all night.

"Yes?" She asked patiently.

Tyson remained silent for a moment before eliding, "you're _so_ pretty."

It wasn't as though Hilary wasn't used to hearing that out of him, but for whatever reason, it brought a blush to her face. Probably because Tyson was so out of whack at the moment that she was thrown off that he was even able to string that thought together. Before she could respond, Tyson jumped at her, trying to kiss her but instead losing his balance and knocking her back down onto the bed. Hilary grimaced, glancing down at her husband, who was now resting directly atop her chest.

"You and alcohol _really_ do not mix, Tyson Granger," she quipped.

He hiccupped before softly repeating, "you're _so_ pretty."

Hilary smirked and shook her head. She managed to wriggle out from beneath her incapacitated husband, leaving him lying there despondently as she sauntered towards the dresser. She pulled open a drawer and retrieved a black t-shirt and pale blue and white stripped boxers, tossing them towards Tyson. They landed on top of his face, and he just stayed like that for a few long seconds before removing them.

"Put those on," Hilary giggled. "It's bed time."

She felt like she was talking to Alan or Vanessa instead of her husband, though she supposed that was fair. Overtired little kids, after all, really weren't much different than drunk adults.

Hilary quickly slipped out of her navy blue dress in favor of a pale blue tank top and white shorts. By the time she had changed and turned around, Tyson was still lying on the bed, his own pajamas still crumpled up beside him.

"C'mon, Tyson!" Hilary groaned. "You're making my life really difficult here."

"-m not tired," Tyson whined.

Hilary dramatically rolled her eyes. Now she _really_ felt like she was dealing with one of their kids. "Could you _at least_ put your pajamas on and lie in bed, then?"

Tyson pressed his lips into a thin line and stayed that way for a long moment. Hilary narrowed her eyes, but just as she was about to snap at him, Tyson replied with a simple, "yep."

He sat up robotically and tried removing his dress shirt without undoing the buttons. Hilary watched him struggle for a bit, trying to shrug off the shirt and, eventually, biting at the collar to try and remove it that way.

"Okay, this is just sad," Hilary sighed, walking over to Tyson. She managed to undo all of his buttons and slide the shirt off, holding it away from him. "Can you get your _pants_ off by yourself, or do you need help with that too?"

"Uuuuuh…" Tyson droned, continuing to do so as he managed to wiggle his way out of his pants.

"Great," Hilary grumbled. "Now give me those so you can-"

Before Hilary could finish, Tyson tossed the pants at her, the dark gray slacks landing on her head and covering her face. Tyson started to laugh wildly, while Hilary grabbed the pants and yanked them off of her head, revealing a brilliantly red face.

"My sympathy for you is _really_ wearing thin."

 **XXX**

By the next morning, Hilary had managed to muster up a lot more compassion for her husband.

In contrast to his oblivious, drunken state the night before, Tyson was now feeling a _lot_ of pain. Most specifically in his head. It felt like there was a beyblade battling happening within his skull, and all Tyson could do was moan about it.

Hilary was standing in the doorway, watching him with a frown on her face. She'd left quickly to make herself a cup of tea (coffee would've been preferable, but decaffeinated was the recommendation for someone pregnant like herself, and that wouldn't do a thing for Hilary), but Tyson had still been asleep then…certainly not moaning like that. She, in fact, couldn't tell if he was actually awake or not. Either way, while she was downstairs, she had also prepared a beverage for Tyson: seltzer water, in the hopes that it may do the bare minimum to relieve his hangover.

She approached his nightstand, gently placing the seltzer water down. As soon as the glass hit the table, he moaned more loudly, indicating to Hilary that he had heard it and that it was far too loud for his sensitive head.

"Tyson?" Hilary asked softly, willing to check if he was actually awake at this point.

The man's eyes finally cracked open, and they were completely bloodshot. He whimpered and reached up to grab his head, grumbling, "I feel like I got run over by a train."

"Not exactly…" Hilary sighed. "You drank too much last night."

"I…huh?" Tyson mumbled.

"You were drinking your wine _and_ my wine so Derek wouldn't realize I was pregnant," Hilary explained, realizing that Tyson had no recollection of this.

Tyson sighed and lowered his hand. "So…"

Hilary blinked when Tyson trailed off and never finished. "You're hungover."

Tyson groaned and rolled over onto his face. "Wine's not even worth it."

"I tried to get you to stop, but you wouldn't listen," Hilary continued, a smile managing to creep its way onto her face. His stubborn ass never learned. "You just wanted to protect me. I'm really grateful for it, Tyson. Thank you."

Despite the massive ache in his head, Tyson smiled at her. "Of course. I love you, Hil."

Hilary giggled and kissed him on the forehead. "I left some seltzer water on the nightstand for you, and I'm going to go get you some ibuprofen to take. It's not going to make the hangover go away, but it might help a little. You can try and get some sleep while I go get the kids."

Tyson started to pout. "I wish I could go with you. But…I think if I get out of bed, I'll go right to the floor."

"No, you're not going anywhere," Hilary agreed. "But don't worry; I'll keep the children and their squeaky, generally way too loud voices away from you today."

"I feel bad…" Tyson sighed. "Well, staying away from them. I feel bad physically, too."

"I know you do," Hilary assured him. "But this is for the best. I'm sure by tomorrow you'll be up for being used as a jungle gym again!"

 **XXX**

"Did you two have fun with Gramps?"

"Yeah!" Alan gushed. "He made us macaroni and cheese for dinner! But the one he makes all on his own, not the one from the box!"

Hilary deadpanned at the inadvertent jab at her cooking skills. "That's wonderful."

"And he took us to the candy store!" Vanessa added. "We got a bunch of stuff!"

"I know, Gramps gave me all of your leftovers," Hilary snickered. "I hope you two know you'll be sharing with me!"

"No way!" Alan laughed.

Hilary giggled before adding, "well, I'm glad you guys had such a good time. But I really missed you!"

"We missed you too, Mommy!" Vanessa exclaimed.

''Hey, where's Daddy?" Alan asked, realizing the absence of the man.

Wracking her brain, Hilary finally replied, "he really wanted to come with me to pick you guys up, but he wasn't feeling so well, so I wanted him to stay in bed."

Vanessa frowned. "Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine," Hilary assured her daughter.

"Did the baby make him sick like it makes you sick?" Alan asked, tilting his head.

Hilary was about to say no, but as she thought about it, she realized Alan wasn't completely off base. "That could be, little guy. But just like me, he's gonna be okay! You two will just hang out with me until he feels better, okay?"

"Okay!" They both chirped.

"Aw, you're both so sweet!" Hilary giggled. "Come on, let's get home now."

She got both kids into their booster seats. The ride home remained uneventful, with the exception of both Alan and Vanessa talking their mother's ear off; typical of the two children when they were very excited. Once they made it home and into the house, everything seemed to be in one piece, for which Hilary was grateful. Maybe now things would settle down.

That hope was quickly diminished when she and the kids heard a bunch of stumbling, crashing, and groaning coming from upstairs.

"Daddy?" Vanessa wondered aloud.

Alan glanced up at his mother and commented, "That sounds like a whole big mess."

Hilary sighed and shook her head, though she couldn't fight the smirk that grew on her face. Kids were so unintentionally funny…much like her husband the night before.

"You're absolutely right, sweetheart. Do you two mind if I go check on your Daddy quickly?"

"Okay!" Vanessa giggled. "Alan and I can play while we wait!"

Hilary smiled and ruffled the hair of both children before hurrying up the stairs. She found Tyson lying in a heap on the floor beside the bed, groaning but otherwise not moving.

"What did you do?" Hilary sighed.

"I was trying to go to the bathroom…" Tyson grumbled. "But the whole room is spinning."

"You shouldn't have tried to get up without me," Hilary gently admonished him.

"What do you expect me to do, pee in the bed?" Tyson deadpanned.

"No, I definitely don't want that," Hilary quickly refuted, walking over to Tyson to help him up. "But the kids are downstairs, so I've got to be able to split my attention between the three of you. They're a bit of a handful, you know."

Tyson groaned and buried his face in his hands, trying to get the world around him to still. "I'm never drinking again."

"That's fair, considering you didn't even want to drink this time," Hilary hummed.

Tyson sighed and lowered his hands, though his eyes were still shut. "Okay. I'm going to go in the bathroom, try not to barf, and then lay on my face for the rest of the day."

Hilary gave her husband a thumbs up. "Sounds like a plan. Let me know if you need anything!"

"Yep, will do," Tyson muttered, trudging to the bathroom. He reached for the door and tried to close it, but missed completely and just kept going, not realizing he hadn't been successful.

"Oh, Tyson you didn't…" Hilary slowly trailed off, stopping herself. "You know what, he's been through enough. Just let him go with the door open."


	47. Chapter 47: Separation Anxiety

**Whew! I'm closing to 50 chapters soon!**

 **Vanessa: 2 yr old**

* * *

"I can't do this, Tyson…"

The man frowned as he watched his wife bury her face in her hands. "Yes you can, Hilary. It's only for a couple of nights."

Hilary shook her head and slowly lowered her hands. "I've never been away from my baby for that long. What if she think I've abandoned her?"

"She won't," Tyson assured her. "I've left for a few days at a time, and she never thought I left her! You always reminded me that."

Hilary's entire day had come to a crashing halt as the news of her cousin giving birth had stirred up. She was happy at the mention of a new member added in the family. It sounded dramatic for her to be so worked up over the trip, but Hilary always put her daughter before her, and she had never been away from her for more than a single night.

"It'll be okay," Tyson murmured, reaching over to rub his wife's back. "I understand why you're worried and upset. I used to feel the exact same way! But I'll make sure that we call you every night on the video phone so you can see each other. And I'll stay home for those three days so Vanessa isn't without both of us for that long. Gramps can help me out too! You know he just adores Van. She'll be so well taken care of and loved! I'll make sure of it."

Hilary sniffed and rubbed at her eye. "You're so sweet, Tyson. And I know I can leave you with Vanessa. But…it's just… _I_ can't stand the thought of leaving her. She's spent almost every day of of her life with me! I mean, for God's sake, I carried her for nearly 9 months, I went through 12 hours of natural, unmedicated labor to have her, I nursed her…"

"You've done everything right with her," Tyson promised once Hilary had trailed off. ''Vanessa's still very young, but she knows how much you love her and care for her. It would take a whole lot more than three days for her to forget you. You've really sacrificed a lot over the past 2 years."

"But it's worth it," Hilary muttered. "I would do _anything_ for my baby."

"I know you would," Tyson whispered, kissing her cheek. "And that's why you have to do this. This is your family, Hilary. You love your cousin, and you have to be there for her. ''

Hilary whimpered and turned her head to look at Tyson. "I'm being a baby."

Tyson chuckled and gently grabbed her face. "No, you're not being a baby. You're upset, and it's understandable. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what."

Hilary smiled tearfully and wrapped her arms around Tyson, resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

Tyson lifted her head up by her chin and pressed his nose to hers. "Funny, I could say the same thing about you."

The two soon found their lips locked together, kissing passionately and quickly forgetting where they were or what they had even been talking about just moments before. Hilary leaned back, her hair fanning out on the bedspread, Tyson falling over her and settling himself between her legs.

" _Mama!_ "

Hilary tilted her head back, her eyes falling on the baby monitor that sat on her nightstand. Tyson took advantage of the opportunity and began to kiss the side of Hilary's neck, causing her to moan and draw her knees up.

"Come on," Hilary pleaded breathlessly, gently tapping her husband's shoulder. "I have to go see what Vanessa needs."

Tyson murmured, picking his head up. "Alright, I'll just finish it myself..."

Hilary smirked and shook her head. She slid off the bed, a bewildered Tyson quickly following after her. She left their bedroom and walked over to the door of Vanessa's. She slowly pushed it open, and she walked in, Tyson peered through the doorway, and was surprised to see Vanessa, sitting up and clutching a stuffed bear to her chest.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" Hilary whispered.

"Ni- li-," Vanessa whimpered, pointing at the night light near the foot of her bed. Hilary took a look and realized that the mermaid light had gone dark.

"Oh, the batteries in your night light died," Hilary sighed.

"Dawk," Vanessa whined, covering her eyes with the stuffed toy.

"It's okay, baby," Hilary assured her daughter. "Mommy will fix it!"

Hilary knelt down beside the night light and pulled it out of the wall, smiling over her shoulder at Vanessa. "I'll be right back!"

She walked into the kitchen and placed the night light on the counter, opening up one of the drawers and digging for some batteries.

Tyson, on the other hand, approached the counter and picked up the night light to examine it. It looked like a white lantern, was filled with water and light blue glitter, and had the white silhouette image of a mermaid holding a starfish and surrounded by bubbles and seaweed.

"This thing has always reminded me of you," Tyson commented, looking up just in time to see Hilary walking towards him with two batteries in hand.

"Because of the mermaid?" Hilary asked knowingly.

"Yep," Tyson chuckled, handing the night light over to her.

"Vanessa loves her mermaids," Hilary giggled, opening up the night light's compartment and removing the dead batteries. "This thing is the big key to getting her to go to sleep at night. Has she ever made you watch it with her?"

Tyson twisted his mouth. "I don't think so…"

"It's so cute," Hilary breathed. "She loves to watch the glitter swirl around the mermaid. She'll point at it and call them 'waves.' It's one of my favorite things about her…"

Tyson's eyes widened as Hilary started to sniffle again.

"Hil, are you okay?" He questioned.

Hilary quickly nodded her head, but reached up at the same time to wipe at her eye.

"No you're not," Tyson sighed.

"I just realized I won't be able to do this with her when I'm away," Hilary hiccupped. "I won't be here to watch the night light with her."

"It's only two nights," Tyson reminded her. "And if she wants to watch the night light, I'll watch it with her!"

Hilary cleared her throat and picked her head up, nodding it.

"Are the batteries all good?" Tyson asked, pointing at the night light.

"Mmhm," Hilary hummed. "I'd better go plug it back in so Vanessa can go to sleep."

She walked out of the kitchen, Tyson once again trailing her. When they got back to the baby bedroom, Vanessa was still sitting up in bed, holding her toy close.

"Here we go," Hilary breathed, kneeling down beside the outlet and sticking the night light in. The lantern lit up, the light blue glitter swirling around inside. Vanessa placed her toy down and crawled to the end of her bed, peering down at the night light.

"Waves!" Vanessa squealed softly, pointing at the light.

Tyson smirked as he watched from the doorway, leaning against the doorframe as he watched his young daughter marvel over her beloved night light.

"Yeah, waves," Hilary murmured softly. "Now that it's working again, are you ready to go to sleep?"

Vanessa nodded her head, holding her arms out towards her mother. Hilary giggled and lifted the child up beneath her arms, gently placing her back at the head of her bed. Once she was settled, Hilary knelt down and kissed her daughter's forehead, earning a soft coo from the toddler.

"Good night, Vanessa," Hilary whispered against the girl's skin.

"Ni-, Mama," Vanessa babbled.

With a smile, Hilary gently pushed Vanessa down before pulling the comforter over her. She stroked her daughter's hair for a few moments before getting to her feet and walking out of the room, Tyson gently wrapping his arm around her waist so she couldn't go anywhere. With his free arm, he halfway closed the door to the baby room, and then pulled Hilary against his side.

"You are the best mom in the whole wide world," Tyson remarked, resting his chin atop Hilary's head.

"That's a broad title," Hilary teased.

"But I know that it's true," Tyson replied, spinning Hilary around to smile at her. "You always know exactly she need."

Hilary just smiled softly in response, but said nothing else.

"I'm her father, and I love her just as much as you do," Tyson continued. "And I swear to you, Hilary, for those two nights when you're not here, I will do my very best to take care of her the same way you do."

Hilary laughed just once and reached up to cup Tyson's cheek. "That's very sweet, Tyson, but you don't have to take care of Van the same way I do. You said it yourself: you're the father. You're one of the only other people in the world I would trust with our child for that long. Nothing would make me happier than knowing you're taking care of her the best way _you_ know how."

Tyson smiled and tilted his head to the side. "Have I ever asked what I did to deserve you?"

Hilary returned his grin and nodded her head, standing on her toes to give Tyson a quick kiss. "Yes, you have. And I've asked the same about you."


	48. Chapter 48- Bothersome Chores

**Seriously, don't we just hate doing chores?**

* * *

"Your parents are great."

Hilary smirked as she cast Tyson a sideways glance. "You're just saying that because they took the kids for the day."

Tyson pouted in response. "That's not fair! You know I love those three more than anything in the world!"

"I do," Hilary confirmed. "I love them just as much! But we can both admit that a break every once in a while is appreciated."

" _Very_ appreciated," Tyson agreed, his smile returning. "So, since we have the house to ourselves today…what do you want to do?"

Hilary raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it isn't very often we get time to ourselves," Tyson explained. "We could do literally anything!"

"Like what?" Hilary prodded.

"Um…anything?" Tyson lamely replied.

"You're trying really hard not to say sex, aren't you?" Hilary deadpanned. Tyson's face flashed red, but he didn't argue, which led Hilary to giggle. "I knew it! I know you too well, Tyson."

Tyson groaned and leaned against the railing of the staircase. "I like to do more with you than just that, you know."

"I do," Hilary repeated, nodding her head. "I just know it's one of your _favorites_."

Tyson rolled his eyes, but the smile remained on his face. "How about lunch? We could go outside and eat in the backyard, almost like a little picnic?"

"It's a very nice idea, Tyson, but I've got a lot of work to do around the house," Hilary sighed.

"Work?" Tyson groaned, slumping his shoulders.

"Yeah, it's hard to get it all done when the kids are around," Hilary continued. "They're always fighting for my attention, or they need help with something…I can barely get anything done."

"But chores are so boring," Tyson whined.

Hilary smirked. "They're not my idea of a good time either, trust me."

Tyson twisted his mouth and started to wrack his brain. A huge smile suddenly reappeared on his face, and he announced, "I'll just help you with them then!"

"You? Helping with chores?" Hilary scoffed.

"Hey, I'm the man of this house!" Tyson cried, puffing out his chest as he placed his hands on his hips. "I've never turned down any chores!"

"No, you just complain about them," Hilary snickered. "Besides, you're not necessarily the best, uh…what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, homemaker."

"Homemaker?" Tyson repeated. "I'm not trying to be a homemaker, Hil. I'm just trying to help you out around the house!"

"Right…" Hilary sighed, arching an eyebrow. "You think you can handle doing the laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, and changing the sheets?"

"Sounds easy enough to me!" Tyson boasted. "I did chores growing up, you know."

" _Some_ chores," Hilary corrected. "Gramps told me he did most of them and you just helped out with the easier stuff. None of which I just named is the easier stuff, by the way."

"That old geezer…" Tyson groaned, throwing his head back. As Hilary laughed again, Tyson picked his head up and continued, "I want to try and help, Hil. Seriously. It'll go faster if I do, right?"

Hilary hummed before nodding her head. "Definitely faster than if I just do it all on my own."

"Okay, then I'll do my best!" Tyson declared, pumping his fist. "What do we start with?"

"The laundry," Hilary replied.

"Laundry, huh?" Tyson mused. "I did the laundry once when I lived with the guys in New York!"

"Yeah, and you blew up the machine," Hilary quipped. As soon as Tyson shot her a look of disbelief, Hilary added, "I _do_ talk to a majority of the people who have been part of your life."

"I won't make that mistake again," Tyson grumbled.

"Hopefully not," Hilary teased. Tyson frowned, and Hilary quickly reached up to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry, I'm just messing around. I really do appreciate you offering to help me out, Tyson. Really!"

Tyson smiled and bent his head down to rest his nose against his wife's forehead. "I believe you." Picking his head up, Tyson's smile widened to a considerable grin, and he cheered, "Well, let's get to work!"

 **XXX**

Doing the laundry was the first task on Hilary's checklist.

Because she didn't trust him to operate the washing machine (his promise to not explode it again wasn't comforting enough), Hilary put Tyson in charge of folding the clothes she'd already washed.

"It should be easy enough," Hilary informed him, pointing at the basket. "Most of the clothes in there belong to Tam, so they're smaller."

"You can count on me!" Tyson cheered, proudly jamming a finger towards his chest.

"We'll see," Hilary hummed, turning to head towards the machine.

Behind her, Tyson reached into the laundry basket and pulled out one article of clothing: a tiny, flowy white tank top embroidered in black and pink.

"Aw, look how cute!" Tyson chuckled. "I always forget how little Tammy's clothes are. It's adorable!"

Tucker, who had been watching from a distance, sauntered closer to the basket and began sniffing at its contents. As soon as he picked up the scent, his ears perked and he let out a delighted _woof_ , standing on his hind legs and burying his face into the pile of clothes.

"You smell her, huh?" Tyson asked. He lifted the tank top closer to his face and took a good sniff of it, wrinkling his nose afterwards. "All I smell is laundry detergent. And it's extra flowery."

Resuming back to the chore, Tyson began working on attempting to fold the little tank top in his hands. Unfortunately, it was so small that Tyson wasn't entirely sure of where to _begin._ He held it up and carefully eyed it, examining the straps all the way down to the hem. Grabbing hold of both straps, he folded the shirt in half, and then in half again the other way. This formed a neat little square, which brought the big grin back to Tyson's face.

"Hey Hil, check it out!" Tyson called, holding up the folded fabric.

Hilary, who had been busy moving clothes from the washing machine to the dryer, looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Wow, nice job, Tyson! That looks really good!"

"Thanks," Tyson sighed, puffing his chest out. "I knew this couldn't be too hard!"

"Well, you've only folded one shirt so far," Hilary reminded him, nodding towards the still-full basket. "Don't get too cocky!"

"Don't worry, I won't," Tyson assured her, placing the folded tank top beside the bin. "I'll just build off that confidence!"

As soon as the shirt was out of his grasp, however, it came unraveled in a matter of seconds. Tyson let out a strangled cry, which caught Hilary's attention. "You alright over there?"

"Uh…yeah, fine!" Tyson quickly cried. "Just…choked a little. That's all."

"Choked?" Hilary repeated. "On…nothing?"

"No, on my…spit," Tyson refuted, cringing afterwards.

Hilary furrowed her brow, but chose not to ask any further questions and instead turned back towards the dryer. Tyson, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh of relief before picking the tank top back up.

"Why'd you do that?" Tyson whined, making sure to keep his voice low so Hilary wouldn't hear him. He folded the shirt the exact same way he had before, and once it was back in its neat square, he placed it back down beside the basket.

Where it promptly unraveled again.

Tyson could feel a vein about to pop out of his forehead.

Retrieving the tank top once again, Tyson crumpled it up into a tight ball between his hands. Once he dropped it beside the basket, it remained in its jumbled mess, causing Tyson to grin.

 _Now I got it!_

He picked another shirt out of the basket: a light pink t-shirt with a bow at the collar. He balled it up in a similar fashion to the tank top and dropped the sphere of fabric beside the original one, grinning when that one stayed in place as well. Tyson began doing that with all of the clothes in the basket, soon out-folding his previous performance and clearing the basket.

"Okay, here are Vanessa's-wait, you finished the first basket already?"

Tyson looked up at Hilary and nodded proudly. "Yep, all done! And it was a total piece of cake!"

Hilary leaned on her toes to examine Tyson's work, but as soon as she saw the messy balls of clothing her face fell. "Tyson! What is that?!"

"Tammy's clothes," Tyson replied with a sense of obviousness.

"You can't fold clothes like that!" Hilary cried.

"Why not?" Tyson practically whined. "They wouldn't stay any other way!"

"Yeah, sometimes they come undone," Hilary sighed. "But you're supposed to fold it again! If you just crumple the clothes up like that they're going to wrinkle."

"Who cares if they're a little wrinkly?" Tyson asked. "They're just clothes!"

"Because it messes them up, and then they look bad…" Hilary grumbled as she trailed off.

"Okay, I'll just…un-ball them," Tyson assured her, picking up one of the shirts and pulling it out of the tight wad he'd made. "And I'll do my best to fold them the right way."

"Maybe for now we should move on to something else," Hilary suggested. "I think you should take a break from the clothes, and truthfully, I wouldn't mind getting out of the laundry room for a bit. It's starting to feel too stuffy for my liking."

Tyson frowned, but nevertheless backed away from the empty laundry basket. Hilary quickly jumped in to unfold the balled up shirts, finishing in a matter of minutes.

"I could've helped with that, you know," Tyson muttered.

"I do," Hilary replied. "But it was no big deal. Let's just move onto the next chore on my list."

"Which is…?" Tyson prodded.

"Cleaning the bathroom," Hilary responded, smirking at her husband. "And if you didn't like folding the laundry, I don't think you're going to like this much either."

 **XXX**

"Oh my-"

"I told you."

"Our kids are _disgusting!_ "

"Yeah, I know."

"And that's coming from _me!_ "

"Yeah, I know."

A look of horror remained on Tyson's face as he scanned the bathroom that primarily belonged to his and Hilary's three children. Their toothbrushes and hairbrushes were spread all over the counter, tubes of open toothpaste intermixed. There were towels on the floor, Tammy's bath toys strewn almost everywhere _except_ the wire caddy they belonged in. The garbage can was overflowing, tissues and empty boxes surrounding it.

"Why do they listen to us when we ask them to clean up the rest of the house, but the bathroom looks like a tornado ripped through it?" Tyson questioned.

"They create this whole mess in a matter of minutes," Hilary sighed. "When I come in here to bathe Tammy at night, it's totally spotless. But by the next morning, after all the kids have gotten ready for the day, it looks like this."

"That quick, huh?" Tyson muttered.

"I think they consider it a talent," Hilary replied with a smirk. She stepped forward and began picking up the discarded towels, tossing them into a nearby hamper. "And to think, these were _so close_ to making it in there…"

Tyson stepped further into the bathroom as well and started gathering Tammy's bath toys. It didn't take him very long (they were numerous, but they were also small and light) and once he had them all rounded up, he placed them back in the caddy where they belonged.

"Thanks," Hilary sighed, standing back up to her full height.

"No problem!" Tyson chuckled. "This is already way easier than folding all that laundry."

"Yeah, _that_ was," Hilary quipped.

Tyson hummed and tilted his head. "What do you mean 'that'? We just have to pick up all the stuff they left lying around, right?"

"We do have to finish that," Hilary confirmed. "But we do also have to actually clean the bathroom."

"I thought picking stuff up _was_ cleaning," Tyson murmured.

"Part of it. But I'm talking about _actually_ cleaning. Like…heavy duty, down-and-dirty type cleaning."

Before Tyson could ask any further questions, Hilary skirted towards the toilet. Tyson raised an eyebrow, but it quickly hit him what she had meant. "You mean…?"

Hilary turned her head towards him and nodded solemnly.

"Ugh," Tyson groaned, slumping his shoulders.

"But look, Alan did us a favor," Hilary teasingly commented.

Tyson was afraid to ask, but decided to take his chance. "What did he do?"

"He left the seat up," Hilary snickered.

''I had a totally different image running in my mind,'' Tyson rolled his eyes. "You would think our son would have a bit more common sense than that. He shares this bathroom with two sisters, after all. Leaving the seat up like that isn't really fair to them."

"Very true," Hilary agreed. "Try and remember that the next time you leave the seat up in _our_ bathroom."

Tyson suddenly looked completely offended. "What?! I _never_ leave the seat up!"

"Yes you do!" Hilary laughingly argued. "You do it every single day!"

"I do not!"

"Right, so if I go into our bathroom right now, the toilet seat will be down?"

"Probably."

"Probably?!"

"I don't remember what I did the last time I went in there!"

"Which means you probably left the seat up."

"Don't we have to finish cleaning up in here first before we start thinking about the other bathrooms?" Tyson pressed, eager to get off the subject of him possibly leaving the toilet seat up.

"Yes, we do," Hilary replied, picking up a toilet brush and handing it over to Tyson. "Have fun!"

Once again, his eyes nearly fell out of his head. "WHAT?!"

"You said you wanted to help," Hilary retorted calmly. "So you can clean the toilet while I start cleaning the bathtub. That takes much longer than the toilet anyway."

Tyson grimaced, but still took the brush from his wife. He knelt down by the bowl and took a quick look at it, loudly groaning the moment he laid eyes on it. "Our son also has terrible aim, apparently…"

Hilary laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, I figured that out quite a while ago…"

 **XXX**

"That was the worst thing _ever_."

Hilary snickered. Tyson was leaning against the wall, his eyes wide yet the rest of his face reflecting sheer exhaustion.

"It was only three bathrooms," Hilary reasoned with him. "Could you imagine if we lived in a giant mansion or something?"

"No," Tyson quickly countered. "I'm just really glad we don't right about now."

"Well, the good news is we're almost finished," Hilary continued. "All that's left is changing the sheets on everybody's beds."

"Ugh, there's even more beds than bathrooms," Tyson groaned.

"Yeah, but they won't take as long as the bathrooms," Hilary replied. "Especially with you helping me out!"

Tyson finally peeled himself off the wall. He still didn't look thrilled, but it was hard for him to ignore Hilary's compliments of him.

"It'll go even faster if we split up," Hilary mused. "Or do you want me to show you how to do it first?"

"I think I can manage," Tyson jibed.

"I'll even make it easy for you," Hilary decided, her voice playful. "I'll change the sheets on our bed, since it's the biggest one. You can start with one of the kids', your pick."

Tyson thought about it for a moment before declaring, "I guess I'll change Vanessa's. Her room is usually the cleanest, so I shouldn't be stepping on anything or getting tripped up."

"Good choice," Hilary commended. "That definitely makes hers the easiest. Tammy's bed is smaller, but that floor can be a nightmare."

"Yeah, I'd rather not be slipping on any stuffed lego or tripping over tutus today," Tyson muttered.

Hilary giggled before instructing him, "The extra sheets for Vanessa's bed are in her closet, on the top shelf. Just pick one of them out, take off the ones that are on now, and put on the new ones. Easy enough!"

Tyson grinned confidently and nodded. As Hilary skirted down the hall towards their bedroom, Tyson took a sharp right and entered Vanessa's room, which was, as he had expected, relatively spotless. Vanessa tended to be much more responsible than her siblings and therefore kept a much tidier bedroom.

Walking over to her closet, Tyson pulled open the white doors and scanned its contents. Up on the highest shelf, just as Hilary had said, were a few fresh sheet sets. He picked the first one he saw: pool blue and covered in white dots that resembled water color. Tyson carried the new sheets over to the bed, and jumped a bit when he saw a ball of gold fur curled up on the pillow.

"Tucker," Tyson sighed.

The dog lifted his head, ears twitching upon hearing his master's voice.

"Is there where you've been the whole time?" Tyson complained.

"raw..," the dog confirmed.

"Lucky you," Tyson griped. "I just had to spend the last hour cleaning _toilets_."

The retriever let out another snickering bark, causing Tyson to shake his head. "Yeah, it's real funny when _you_ got to nap through the whole thing.

"I know you helped with the laundry," Tyson breathed. "But that was nowhere near as traumatizing as the bathrooms."

"..."

Tyson huffed and tilted his head, grabbing onto the comforter and lifting it off the bed. "Well, since you're here now, could you get off so I change Vanessa's sheets?"

Tucker nodded and flew off the pillow, pushing it to the floor with his paws. After that, he crawled over to the edge of the bed, beginning to pull the sheets off with his teeth.

"Nice job," Tyson chuckled. "See? I was right! This does go a whole lot faster when we help out!"

"But it's still taken a while…" Tyson thought aloud, removing the sheets from Vanessa's bed. "I can only imagine how long it takes Hilary when she has to do all of this stuff alone."

The dog bowed solemnly.

"I gotta tell ya, buddy, I don't think I'd make a very good mom," Tyson laughed dryly. "Or a very good homemaker. Apparently, Hilary does, though," Tyson mused. "She's _great_ at both of those things! I really admire her."

Finally, Tyson was able to strip Vanessa's mattress of its sheets, leaving the pure white rectangle bare and ready for the new set.

"Kay, let's get these new sheets on!" Tyson cheered. "The quicker we get them on, the sooner we can move on to the next bed."

 **XXX**

Once all the sheets had been changed, Tyson was totally beat. He collapsed on his and Hilary's freshly outfitted bed, groaning the moment his head hit the pillow.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to move again," Tyson complained. "Why was this even more exhausting than all of my hardcore training?"

Hilary breezed into the room, smiling to herself once she saw Tyson sprawled out on the bed. "Wow, those chores really wore you out, huh?"

Tyson picked his head up and frowned. "I don't know how you do all that stuff without any help."

"You get used to it," Hilary replied with a shrug. "After 10 years of this old routine, I can move pretty quickly. Still haven't found a way to make it fun, though."

Tyson smirked and put his head back down. "I get that."

"I did have more fun doing them with you."

Tyson raised an eyebrow and made to pick his head up again, but Hilary pounced on the bed and rested her own head against his before he could make his move.

"You did?" Tyson questioned.

Hilary hummed and nodded her head. "You tend to make most things more fun than they are. And you did a surprisingly good job!"

"Really?" Tyson asked incredulously. "Even after I balled up all of Tammy's clothes?"

"That was one hiccup," Hilary scoffed. "Besides, you bounced back! You did a good job cleaning the bathrooms. And Vanessa and Tammy's beds look very neat! You barely even left a wrinkle in those sheets."

"Glad I could make such an impression," Tyson teased.

"I really am grateful for your help," Hilary murmured, her tone taking on a more serious tone. "I know this wasn't the most fun way to spend a day without the kids, but it was important. And with you helping out, it saved a lot of time. So thank you."

She kissed his cheek, bringing a warm smile to Tyson's face. Fluttering her eyelashes, Hilary danced her fingers up her husband's arm and continued, "Now, if you want to do something _more_ fun…"

Tyson groaned and tilted his head back. "Now?! But I'm _so_ tired!"

Hilary blinked and asked, "Really? You're actually too tired for…this?"

She craned her neck, this time pressing her lips against Tyson's. He hesitated at first, but then began to return her kiss, whining once Hilary pulled away too quickly.

"No," Tyson finally grumbled, roughly flipping onto his back. "I think I need a reward, honestly."

Tucker growled tiredly and jumped off the foot of Tyson and Hilary's bed, quickly scurrying out of their room with a long yawn.

 _At least there's three other clean beds for him to take a nap on…_


	49. Chapter 49- Magazine's are Trash

**Already hit 100000 words and just one chapter left to reach 50! That can be an Achievement, right?**

* * *

"Whatcha lookin- at?"

Vanessa shrieked and pulled her magazine closer to her chest before narrowing her eyes. "Alan, you scared me!"

"Yeah, that was kinda the point," Alan chuckled, leaning back. He had plopped himself down on the couch in order to get as close to Vanessa as possible in his (successful) attempt to spook her.

"Well quit it," Vanessa grumbled, glaring at her brother before slowly returning her gaze to her magazine.

Alan shifted his eyes around before continuing, "I _am_ still curious about what you're reading."

Vanessa scoffed. "Since when do you care?"

"Since now," Alan replied earnestly. "Come on, just show me!"

"No."

Alan looked offended. "You're really not gonna share with your own brother? Your _sweet little_ brother?"

"No," Vanessa repeated.

Growling lowly, Alan got to his feet and relented, "alright, you win. I'll leave you alone."

"How generous of you," Vanessa droned sarcastically, sounding remarkably like her mother.

Alan slowly started to walk past Vanessa, but in one swift motion, reached out and snatched the magazine from her hands, making a run for it. Vanessa snarled and jumped to her feet, storming after her brother. " _ALAN!_ "

Without a second thought, Alan hopped up onto the kitchen table, holding the magazine in front of him and reciting the title on the cover. " _Litten Beat_? Isn't this one of those cheesy magazines they make for girls?"

"No!" Vanessa spat. The blush on her face implied otherwise.

Alan clicked his tongue. "Vanessa Granger, I thought you were smarter than that! How does a brilliant girl like you go from reading super long novels to this rag?"

"I'm allowed to like different things, you know," Vanessa grumbled indignantly, crossing her arms.

"Well…let's see what exactly you were so absorbed in," Alan sighed, turning the magazine around so he could look at the page Vanessa had been reading before he'd snatched it.

"Don't you dare!" Vanessa snapped, leaning forward on the balls of her feet.

Clearing his throat, Alan dramatically read, " _All about Sterling Stone; The World's Smartest (and Cutest) Beyblader!_ "

"Alan…" Vanessa warned, her voice low.

The boy lowered the magazine and smirked at his sister. "You've _still_ got the hots for him? It's been five years!"

"Give me back my magazine," Vanessa demanded, holding her hand out.

"Sterling Stone, son of the industrialist Stephan Stone and former model Catherine Stone," Alan continued reading. "Birthday is September 28. He's 12 years old. His bitbeast is Blukong.''

"Alan, I swear…" Vanessa hissed.

"Also, this headline is a total joke," Alan snorted, flicking the article's title. "It'll just be outdated next year when _I_ become the cutest Beyblader!"

Vanessa's face softened as a mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "Aw, I didn't know _Mom_ was writing for _Litten Beat_!"

Alan scowled as he lowered the magazine. "I'll have you know I _constantly_ receive comments about how cute I am; it's not just Mom who thinks so."

"Then those three people should probably get their eyes checked," Vanessa deadpanned.

Alan was about to fire back at her, but then he realized it wasn't worth wasting his breath over. There were much, _much_ better ways to get back at her than just yelling. Smirking, Alan knelt down in front of Vanessa, covering his face with the magazine so he was hidden behind Sterling Stone's.

"Marry me, Vanessa," Alan breathed in a cool voice, doing his best to imitate the young trainer. "Make all my dreams come true."

Vanessa's upper lip curled. "I really hate you right now."

"Is that truly how you feel about me?" Alan sighed, continuing to impersonate Sterling. "I thought you _loved_ me. You kissed me, right on this page!"

" _No I didn't!_ " Vanessa shrieked, finally managing to snatch the magazine away from Alan. He began to laugh hysterically, falling on his side and rolling across the table as he chortled. "Ugh, you're so immature!"

"Alan, Vanessa, I…oh, Alan, really?"

The boy suddenly stopped laughing and slowly looked up, finding his mother standing nearby with a disapproving look on her face.

"Will you get off the kitchen table?" Hilary chastised, sounding more exhausted than anything. "We eat on there, for God's sake."

"Uh…sorry, Mom," Alan apologized sheepishly, dismounting the table and landing on the hardwood floor.

Narrowing her eyes, Vanessa turned towards her mother and informed her, "the only reason Alan was up there was because he literally took my magazine out of my hands and was playing keep away with it!"

Hilary's exasperation only grew. "Seriously, Alan?"

"I can't help it that she's such an easy target," Alan dismissed, shrugging his shoulders.

"You two were so sweet with one another when you were little," Hilary sighed, longing for those distant days. "Always holding hands and cuddling with one another…now all you do is go out of your way to annoy each other."

"That's because Vanessa wasn't _in love_ when we were little," Alan taunted, causing Vanessa's fierce blush to return.

"In love?" Hilary repeated. "Who is she in love with?"

"No one!" Vanessa cried.

"Sterling Stone!" Alan rushed out, a delirious grin on his face. "Vanessa was ogling at his picture in that magazine!"

He pointed at the issue in Vanessa's hands, leading Hilary to raise an eyebrow. Vanessa huffed and hid it behind her back, as if that would get her mother to forget about it.

"Can I see?" Hilary asked, holding her hand out and wiggling her fingers.

"What?!" Vanessa yelped. "No, Mom!"

"I just want to see what he looks like," Hilary tried. "He was such a cute little boy! I'm sure by now he's quite handsome."

Reluctantly, Vanessa handed the magazine over to her mother. Hilary examined the picture of him before showing off a sweet smile. "Yep, very handsome! He's always been a perfect mix of his parents. I certainly don't blame you for still having a crush on him, Vanny!"

Alan snickered as Vanessa's blush somehow managed to deepen. "Thanks, Mom."

"What's he up to nowadays?" Hilary wondered, her eyes continuing to scan the page.

"Mom, are you seriously reading that article?" Vanessa muttered.

"Oh, he's in Japan now," Hilary breathed. "He started his journey in France. Yes, I remember hearing about him competing in the Conference last year! Dad was very impressed with him."

"Don't you _have_ to be impressive if you're the kid of two champions?" Alan scoffed.

"Of course not, just look at you," Vanessa quipped.

"Nice try, but Mom's not a champion," Alan huffed, sticking his tongue out at his sister.

"Come on, you two, quit fighting."

Alan and Vanessa turned their attention back onto their mother, who sounded a bit distracted. As it turned out, she was still scanning the article in Vanessa's magazine.

"Mom, I think you're getting a little too into that," Vanessa murmured.

"It's just funny reading this kind of stuff," Hilary giggled. "I used to read magazines like this all the time when I was your age. Now everything in here is about the kids of people I _know!_ "

" _You_ read that _junk?_ " Alan gasped, pointing at the magazine.

"It is not junk!" Hilary sighed, almost dramatically. "This is a huge part of being a young girl."

Vanessa's eyes lit up at the mention. "I got water on that quiz!"

"Me too!" Hilary puffed. "That's how I knew it was legit."

Alan groaned and rolled his eyes. "This family is a mess."

Vanessa smirked at her brother. "You're just mad you didn't get to take the quiz."

"No, I really don't care," Alan deadpanned.

"You'd have probably ended up as a dark type or something like that anyway," Vanessa mused, her lips bending into a sly smile. "Considering you're always so rude and grouchy."

"Mom!" Alan whined.

"Vanessa," Hilary warned.

The younger brunette fluttered her eyelashes at her mother. "Would it help if I told you I gave Tam the quiz and she got fairy type?"

"That's very sweet of you, and super cute, but it doesn't excuse you being mean to your brother," Hilary replied, shaking her head. "Speaking of Tammy, I have to go wake her up from her nap. We're meeting Dad for dinner soon, so I need her to be fully awake before we go. You two should start getting ready too."

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed now?" Alan complained, motioning to his t-shirt and jeans.

"The outfit's not bad," Hilary reasoned with him. "I mostly meant brushing out your hair. It looks like a squirrel's nest."

Now it was Alan's turn to blush. Vanessa began to giggle, and Alan shot her a nasty glare. Hilary missed it this time, because she was busying herself with flipping through the rest of the magazine. Vanessa finally realized what her mother was doing, and her expression quickly became static.

"Um, Mom, maybe you _should_ go wake Tam up…"

"I'm going to, sweetheart," Hilary assured her, still sounding distant.

"So how about you give me the magazine and you can take care of that?" Vanessa asked, forcing a caring tone. Alan raised an eyebrow, sensing that his sister was up to something.

"Sure…" Hilary trailed off, hitting a page that seemed to pique her interest. She blinked once, then twice, then looked up at her daughter.

"Uh…what's up?" Vanessa questioned awkwardly.

Wordlessly, Hilary flipped the magazine upside down. A large poster unfurled, revealing the image of none other than _Tyson_ , surrounded by pink hearts.

"Okay, so the downside of these magazines is that Dad always ends up in them," Vanessa grumbled, squeezing the bridge of her nose while Alan pulled a look of horror. "Girls _really_ like him, apparently."

Hilary still wasn't saying anything. She was now twisting the magazine to face her, scanning the cartoonish poster of her husband. Alan and Vanessa were fully expecting her to freak out about it, thanks to her notorious jealousy streak, and braced themselves for the reaction.

So they were both stunned when, instead, their mother started laughing. _Uncontrollably._

"You okay, Mom?" Alan asked unsurely.

"This is the dorkiest thing I've _ever_ seen," Hilary stated bluntly, not bothering to take her eyes off of the poster. "Look at his face! They actually chose _the_ most _uncomfortable_ photo of him imaginable. And look at all those giant pink hearts! Oh my gosh, this is _gold_."

Alan and Vanessa were still stunned. Neither one knew what to say, or even how to react.

"You know who would love this?" Hilary sighed, not processing that her children were not responding to her. "Your little sister. I'm really tempted to give this to her to hang up in her room just so your father has to look at it every day."

"Wait, so you think the poster is _funny?_ " Alan muttered, trying to make sure he understood. "You're not annoyed by it?"

"How can I be annoyed by this?" Hilary asked, pointing at Tyson's face on the poster. "It looks like he was threatened into taking this photo. It's perfectly terrible!"

Hilary continued giggling to herself as she walked towards the stairs, bringing the magazine with her. Alan and Vanessa watched her go before exchanging bemused looks.

"I love Mom, but she _really_ confuses me sometimes," Alan remarked.

"You and me both…" Vanessa muttered.


	50. Chapter 50: Scared by a Tooth

**Finally the 50th Chapter is here!**

* * *

Tyson stood on his hands and knees on the living room floor, staring deeply into the ever-so slightly narrowed eyes of his 6 year old daughter. She was sitting with her back against the couch, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"You sure look confident," Tyson teased, leading Tammy to cock an eyebrow. "You really think you can stand up to the world's most powerful bitbeast?"

"I _know_ I can!" Tammy cheered, leaning forward as she pressed her little palms against the floor. "Because I'm the world's strongest Dragoon! And I'm even better than you!"

With one last laugh, Tyson roared and jumped at Tammy, who squealed laughingly. She managed to crawl out of the way, Tyson nearly colliding headfirst with the couch.

"Gotcha!"

Tyson whipped his head around as soon as he felt the small weight land on his back. Tammy was grinning widely at him, obviously proud of herself for having managed to sneak up on her father.

"Oh yeah?" Tyson teased. "What're you gonna do now?"

Tammy started to think about it, and that's when Tyson tilted his body to the side, sending Tammy tumbling off of him towards the floor. "Oops! Took you too long!"

Tammy shook her head out and popped back up, scowling at her father. "Hey! That's no fair!"

"Of course it is," Tyson refuted. "You've got to think fast when you're in a battle!"

Tammy growled and jumped at her father. Tyson saw her coming right towards his face and, in a moment of panic, blocked it with his arm. Tammy collided face-first with the limb, bouncing right off and landing squarely on her behind.. Tyson gasped and threw his arm down, staring at his daughter in concern.

"Tam, are you okay?!" Tyson cried.

The little girl slowly looked up at him and nodded her head.

"Thank goodness," Tyson sighed, holding a hand over his heart. "I thought I really hurt you for a second! And I'd never want to hurt my baby girl."

"I'm okay, Daddy!" Tammy assured him, flashing another big smile. "See?"

And Tyson would have believed it if Tammy _hadn't_ smiled. Because as soon as she did, he saw that there was a big gap on the bottom left side of her mouth, where one of her central incisors was supposed to be. Tyson tried hard to keep a stoic face, but his internal alarm was threatening to break his static expression.

"Uh…nothing hurts?" Tyson questioned.

Tammy shook her head before stopping to think for a moment. "No…but my mouth tastes kinda funny."

"Funny?" Tyson repeated, his voice nearly coming out as a squeak.

"Yeah," Tammy replied, sounding far more confused than frightened. "Like metal!"

Tyson sucked in a sharp breath. He knew _exactly_ what that taste was: blood. Tammy was tasting blood in her mouth.

As he silently freaked out, Tammy looked down and furrowed her brow once something caught her attention. "Hey, what's this?"

She reached down and picked up the object of interest: a small white square coated with a thin layer of red at the very bottom. Tyson pulled his shoulders back, while Tammy moved it closer to her face and tilted her head.

"It looks like a tooth," Tammy commented aloud.

"Um…heh…yeah…it does…a little…" Tyson stammered, nervously turning his gaze.

Tammy studied the square for another moment before opening her mouth and poking at the exact spot where the gap was present. As soon as her little finger slipped between the two teeth that were still there, Tammy's eyes widened.

"My tooth fell out!" Tammy exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry, Tam!" Tyson began profusely apologizing, worried that his daughter was about to get _very_ upset. "I didn't mean for that to happen! I feel so awful!"

Tammy didn't respond. She was still busy poking the now empty spot in her mouth.

"The good news is it's only a baby tooth!" Tyson continued, trying desperately to redeem himself. "A new tooth will grow back! You don't even have to do anything!"

"Daddy…" Tammy began, but was quickly cut off by her father.

"I still feel really awful about it," Tyson carried on, grabbing onto his head with his hands. "This is all my fault. I'm going to make it up to you, pumpkin, I promise! I'll take you out to your favorite restaurant for dinner, and I'll buy you a new toy…whatever you want. You just tell me and I'll make it happen!"

"Daddy!" Tammy practically shouted, anxious to get him to stop prattling on. "You didn't do anything!"

Tyson stared at her in disbelief for a short second before crying, "Yes I did! I knocked out your tooth! Your _first_ baby tooth!"

"I guess," Tammy replied, scrunching up her nose. "But it was already coming out."

Tyson lowered his hands, blinking his eyes. "Wait…what?"

"It was loose," Tammy calmly continued, holding up the tooth for further emphasis as Tyson felt his entire mental psyche fall apart.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a loose tooth?!" Tyson practically wailed.

"I forgot," Tammy chirped, shrugging her shoulders.

Tyson groaned and sunk down to the floor. "I can't believe this."

"You were really scared!" Tammy noted with a little laugh. "You really thought you knocked out my tooth, Daddy!"

Tyson just continued lying there, not saying a word. In the midst of it all, Hilary walked through the front door, grocery bags in hand. She took one look at the scene in front of her and let out a tired sigh, catching the attention of Tammy. Tyson didn't bother to move.

"Do I want to know?" Hilary questioned, her eyes shifting between her husband and daughter.

"I lost my first tooth, Mommy!" Tammy announced, getting to her feet and running over to a stunned Hilary. The little girl proudly held out the aforementioned tooth, which Hilary bent down to examine.

"Oh, you did!" Hilary breathed, her whole face lighting up. "This is so exciting!"

"That means the tooth fairy is gonna come, right?" Tammy asked.

"That's right!" Hilary confirmed cheerfully. Her eyes drifted back towards Tyson, who she was surprised hadn't jumped into the exchange yet. As it would turn out, he was still lying face down on the floor. "Tyson, what's up with you? Are you _that_ overcome with emotion?"

When Tyson just groaned in response, Tammy helpfully informed her mother, "Daddy thought he knocked my tooth out cause I forgot to tell him it was loose."

A look of surprise crossed Hilary's face. "Why would Daddy think _he_ knocked your tooth out?"

"Cause we were playing and he hit me in the face," Tammy casually responded, as though that were a completely normal answer.

Hilary's eyes widened, and Tyson's head finally snapped up. "It wasn't on purpose! It was an accident!"

"What were you two playing that Tammy ended up getting hit in the face?!" Hilary demanded.

''Bey battle," Tammy giggled slyly.

Hilary sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose. "That's exactly why I hate that stupid game! Someone always ends up getting hurt!"

"Nuh uh," Tammy refuted, furrowing her brow. "It's fun and I never get hurt!"

"Daddy accidentally hit you in the face, Tammy."

"Yeah, but it didn't hurt."

Hilary rolled her eyes as she threw her head back. "Whatever. It's over and done with. That tooth was coming out anyway, so I suppose it's no big deal. Let's try and cut back on that little game, shall we?"

Tammy grimaced and looked over at her father, who finally offered up a wry smile. "Sure thing, Hil."

Hilary seemed satisfied with the response and went turned to walk into the kitchen. Once her back was turned, Tyson glanced down at Tammy and mouthed the words _"just kidding,"_ causing the little girl to giggle.

"Tam, what are you laughing at?" Hilary asked from the next room.

"Nothing, Mommy!" Tammy effortlessly fibbed. Dancing towards the doorway on her tippy toes, Tammy leaned in and continued, "Daddy said we could go out for special dinner cause I lost my tooth."

Tyson's smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come on, and he leapt to his feet. "No, I only said that when I thought I knocked a perfectly good tooth out! I didn't want you to be upset!"

"He said he'd buy me a new toy too," Tammy added, not even bothering to look back at her father.

Hilary reappeared in the doorway, once again looking unimpressed. "Really? After I just went out to buy all this stuff for dinner tonight?"

"I just said I only promised it because I thought I hurt her," Tyson sheepishly parroted, realizing the second time around just how bad that sounded.

"But it's a big deal!" Tammy cried. "I only get to lose my first tooth just one time! So I think we should have fun."

Hilary thought about it for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Alright, fine. I guess I can save this stuff for tomorrow."

"Yay!" Tammy cheered. "Thank you, Mommy!"

"You should thank Daddy," Hilary replied, nodding towards her stunned husband. "He's the one who offered you a nice dinner!"

Tammy spun around and jumped at her father, attaching herself to his legs. "Thank you, Daddy! I love you!"

Tyson chuckled softly and lifted the girl up in his arms. "Don't mention it, pumpkin. I love you too!"

He gave her a kiss on the forehead before placing the excited child back on the floor.

"I'm gonna put on a pretty dress!" Tammy declared, charging towards the staircase.

"Tammy, make sure you put that tooth somewhere safe!" Hilary yelled. "Don't lose it!"

"I will!" Tammy promised, her voice sounding faint as she scurried up the stairs.

Once she was gone, Tyson sighed and shot his wife a sympathetic look. "Sorry for messing up your dinner plans."

"It's fine," Hilary assured him, sounding completely genuine. "I'm just glad you didn't mess up our daughter's mouth."

"I told you it was an accident!" Tyson groaned.

"I know you did, and I know it was," Hilary replied. "But I'm still glad."

Tyson grumbled incoherently and ran a hand through his wild locks. "Between dinner, a new toy, and the tooth fairy money…knocking a loose tooth out shouldn't cost me so much money."

Hilary slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah. Maybe next time don't play that stupid game and your wallet will escape unscathed."


	51. Chapter 51- It Isn't the Baby, honey

**I realized there aren't much Hilary and Alan moments. So instantly started working on this.**

* * *

The little boy sighed tiredly, not even realizing that the baseball had dropped in front of his feet.

"Alan!"

The child yawned, straightening himself up as his coach approached him on the field.

"What's going on, bud?" The man asked. "You seem a little out of it today."

Alan frowned and nodded his head. "I'm tired."

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" The coach asked. "You know we always talk about how important it is to get our rest!"

"I know," Alan murmured. "But I don't get to sleep a whole lot –cause of the baby."

"The baby?" The coach repeated.

Once again, Alan nodded his head. "It cries all night, and it's really loud. It wakes me up! That's why I'm sleepy."

"Ah, I could see how that's a problem," the coach mused. "Well, would you like to sit down for a little while? See if some extra stretching wakes you up?"

This time, Alan shook his head. "No, I'll wake up more now. Promise!"

The coach smiled at the determined little boy, who had snapped his eyes open wide upon his last statement. "Alright then. Keep your eye on the ball!"

Alan beamed and nodded, punching the inside of his navy glove as he bent at the knees, ready to catch the next ball that came his way.

 **XXX**

Just as practice was finishing up, Hilary arrived at the baseball field, smiling at the little boys as they finished up their final drills. Of course, her smile strengthened considerably when she caught sight of her _own_ little boy, running at such full speed that his bright blue cap went flying off his head, revealing his wild mop of dark blue hair.

 _Could he_ be _any more like his father?_ Hilary thought whimsically to herself.

Just as Alan reached the other end of the field, the coach blew his whistle, signaling the end of practice. Alan picked his head up and smiled, jogging back in order to recollect his cap. After quickly addressing the boys and sending them off, the coach looked up and saw Hilary standing by the fence. His eyebrows rose a bit, and he started to walk towards the woman, surprising her to a degree.

"Coach Mike," Hilary greeted calmly once the man was in earshot. "How are you today?"

"Just fine," he replied with a smile. "And yourself?"

"I could be worse," Hilary answered playfully.

"Good to hear," Mike chuckled. "Listen, I just wanted to have a quick talk with you about Alan."

"Oh no," Hilary groaned, her face falling. "Did he do something? I really hope it wasn't to one of his teammates. Alan is a sweet boy, but I know he can get temperamental."

"No, nothing like that," Mike refuted. "Alan is a great team player! I've just noticed that lately, he seems very tired at practice. He's been yawning a lot, rubbing his eyes, missing catches and not always paying attention to my instructions."

"Oh, that boy," Hilary sighed. "He's always been a light sleeper…I wonder if he's been waking up more than usual lately."

"I don't mean to pry, but he _did_ tell me that the baby has been keeping him up at night," Mike continued, causing Hilary to raise an eyebrow. "Alan said there's a lot of crying at night and he hasn't been able to sleep through it."

"I'm sorry, what?" Hilary murmured, shaking her head.

"I completely understand this is something that's out of your control," Mike carried on. "After all, it's not like you can force a baby to sleep. We both have experience with that! But maybe if you find a way to work with Alan around it, then maybe he won't be as-"

"There's no baby," Hilary interrupted the man.

He blinked hard, jaw going slack as he stared at the brunette. "Uh…"

"Not yet, anyway," Hilary rectified. "I'm pregnant. But the baby isn't due for months. So…it's certainly not _the baby_ keeping him up at night."

Glancing down, Mike realized that Hilary was, in fact, sporting a small bump. His entire face turned red, after which he promptly buried it in his hands. "I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about," Hilary giggled before sobering up. "It was _Alan_ who lied to you after all."

"Hi Mommy!"

"Speak of the devil," Hilary muttered, looking around Mike and finding her young son smiling at her. The coach looked over his shoulder and returned the boy's smile.

"I'll give you two some space," Coach Mike informed Hilary, earning a small nod from the woman. "See you at the game Saturday, Alan!"

"Okay!" Alan chirped as the man walked away.

"Alan Granger, what have I told you about lying?"

The boy blinked hard and turned his attention back onto his mother. She looked less than pleased, and he suddenly felt very sheepish.

"Uh…it's bad?" Alan lamely squeaked.

"That's right," Hilary hummed. "So do you want to tell me why you lied to Coach Mike?"

"I didn't lie!" Alan cried.

"Oh really?" Hilary drawled. "You told him that the baby has been keeping you up at night. And there is _no baby_ , Alan."

"Yeah there is!" Alan blurted, pointing at her stomach.

"Okay, but it's not crying and keeping you up at night," Hilary practically growled. "So you lied."

Alan huffed and folded his arms over his chest, looking away indignantly.

"Alan, come on…" Hilary groaned.

"But it _is_ the baby's fault, Mommy!" Alan cried.

"Why is it the baby's fault?" Hilary sighed.

"Because I'm scared," Alan grumbled, glancing down at his feet. "I don't want you to forget about me, Mommy."

Hilary let out a slow breath. "Alan…is that why you haven't been getting any sleep? You've been up at night worrying about that?"

Alan, who refused to look up at his mother, nodded his head.

Hilary frowned and knelt down, gently grabbing her son's shoulders. "Sweetie, I've already told you that I will never forget about you, or not love you. You are my little boy, and you always will be. I love you _so_ much, Alan. That won't ever change."

The little boy lunged at his mother, giving her as big and as tight of a hug as he could manage. Hilary's smile returned, this time very content, and she hugged the boy back, placing one hand firmly against the back of his head.

"Please tell me the next time something like that is bothering you, okay?" Hilary pleaded, pulling away only slightly to stare deeply into her son's warm brown eyes. "That way I can make you feel better and you don't have to lie to your coach."

Alan smiled sheepishly and nodded his head. "Okay, Mommy."

Hilary giggled and pulled his head forward to press a kiss against between his eyes. "I love you very much."

Alan reached up and gently pressed his hands against his mother's cheeks. "I love you very much too!"

* * *

 **To answer Bluediamond's question; I plan atleast a hundred by the end of this year.**


	52. Chapter 52: A Mother's Day Suggestion

**Totally forgot to upload this. Sorry!**

"Grammy!"

Tammy ran right up the walkway of her grandmother's house, where Johanna had already opened the front door and was kneeling down with open arms. The little girl jumped into her waiting embrace, resting her head on the older woman's shoulder.

"There's my sweet Tam," Johanna crooned, standing up to her full height and smiling down at the content child. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Tammy picked her head up and grinned at her grandmother. "Me too!"

"Oh man…she's so fast…"

Johanna looked up, while Tammy peered over her shoulder. Tyson was now standing at the gate, bent over as he panted to try and catch his breath.

"Tyson dear, I have a hard time believing you can't keep up with Tammy," Johanna commented with a little giggle.

"I'm not getting any younger," Tyson gasped, straightening himself out.

"No, but you're in excellent shape," Johanna replied.

"My shape doesn't really matter when Tammy has enough energy to last her for days," Tyson groaned.

Tammy beamed up at her grandmother. "I'm fun, Grammy!"

Johanna laughed and rubbed her nose against Tammy's. "Yes you are, beautiful girl!" Pulling away, the woman continued, "You know what? I have a very special surprise for you inside! Would you like to go see what it is?"

"Yeah!" Tammy squealed.

With a smile, Johanna waved towards her son-in-law and beckoned, "well then, everybody inside!"

Tyson followed his wife's mother into her childhood home, walking into the kitchen where she was busy messing with something on the counter. Leaning forward, Tyson realized that the Johanna was pouring a pink beverage from a pitcher into glasses. He placed Tammy in a chair at the kitchen table and reached over for one of the glasses, thanking as she did so. Johanna then placed the glass in front of Tammy, whose eyes lit up as soon as she saw it.

"Strawberry lemonade?!" Tammy squealed.

Johanna giggled and nodded her head. "Yes! I know how much you love it, Tam!"

"Yay!" Tammy cheered, grabbing the glass and taking a big gulp of the lemonade inside.

"Tammy, what do you say?" Tyson asked patiently.

Tammy put the glass back down and grinned at her grandmother. "Thank you!"

"Of course, anything for my little sweetheart!" Johanna replied cheerfully. "There's plenty more where that came from, so drink as much as you'd like."

Not having to be told twice, Tammy raised the glass to her lips again and continued to drink. With a smile, Johanna turned to her son-in-law and asked, "Would you like a glass too?"

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Tyson replied. "Thanks, Jo."

She grabbed another glass, handing it over to Tyson.

"So, dear, how are things?" Johanna questioned, as she took a seat next to Tammy with her own glass of lemonade.

"They're okay," Tyson sighed. "Could be better, though."

Johanna frowned and gave another glance towards the table. Tammy was busy enjoying her lemonade, and Johanna felt comfortable leaving the little girl that way.

"Why don't you and I be alone for a little while?" Johanna asked.

Tyson, knowing exactly what his mother was up to, quickly agreed with a nod of his head. "Tam, Grammy and I are going to sit in the living room. Don't cause any trouble in the kitchen, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," Tammy chirped.

The two adults made their way to the next room, taking a seat on the couch. Tyson put his glass of lemonade down on the coffee table in front of them and sighed, resting his head in his hands.

"It's Hilary, isn't it?" Johanna murmured, picking up a coaster and sliding it beneath her Tyson's glass.

"Yeah," Tyson grumbled. "She's still struggling with not having Alan and Van at home. I feel bad. It's hard for all of us, but Hilary's definitely been hit the worst. I've started to come up with different ways to distract her and try to keep her positive, but it's not always easy."

"Understandably," Johanna replied. "It's difficult when the children you've been raising for years aren't living with you anymore. I know I had a hard time when Hilary left on your Tours."

"And now I get why," Tyson grunted, leaning back against the couch. "But for Hilary, I think it's been worse lately because Mother's Day is coming up. It'll be her first one without the kids at home."

"Ah, I see," Johanna breathed. "That does make a lot of sense."

"I want to do something special for her," Tyson continued. "I mean, I always do. But especially now. I have to do something that will really give Hilary a reason to feel happy."

"Perhaps you should take her somewhere for the weekend," Johanna suggested. "Someplace nice and relaxing where can take her mind off of everything! I would be happy to watch Tammy for the two of you."

"It's not a bad idea, but I'm afraid if I try and keep her away from Tammy on Mother's Day, she'll claw my eyes out," Tyson sighed, only half joking.

"Oh, good point," Johanna remarked, not at all phased by her son's assumption.

"I always buy her jewelry and stuff, but I don't think that's good enough this year," Tyson continued. "A necklace or a pair of earrings aren't going to bring the kids home, after all."

"No, but I'm sure she'd appreciate it regardless," Johanna responded. "Hilary knows how much you love and care for her. Anything you do will mean a lot to her."

"I know, but I _really_ want to do something different," Tyson groaned.

Johanna hummed and tilted her head in thought. "Well…if you want to do something memorable, something that will make Hilary happy, and you don't want to separate her from Tammy…why don't the three of you just go somewhere together?"

Tyson's eyes widened. "That's…not a bad idea, Jo."

"I thought it was pretty good," Johanna hummed, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"But where could we go?" Tyson wondered aloud, furrowing his brow. "We can't go away for too long. Hilary and I can't miss that much work. It has to be somewhere kind of close. But I don't want it to be boring…"

"Hawaii."

Tyson turned his head to look at his mother. "What?"

"Hawaii," Johanna repeated. "She loves there. Plus her cousin has a beach house in Hawaii. Why don't you just ask them if you can use it for the weekend? You wouldn't have to spend any money to stay there, but you could take her out to a very nice dinner, maybe some shopping. They have some lovely little boutiques there! Not to mention the beach. I'm sure both Hilary _and_ Tammy would love to spend some time there!"

"That _does_ sound nice…" Tyson murmured, rocking his head from side to side.

"You could always get her a gift and give it to her there," Johanna continued. "If you plan on spoiling her like usual, of course."

Tyson let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, the usual."

Johanna smiled and stood up from the couch. "It's ultimately your decision, but I think if you're looking to do something special, that's a very good option."

"No, I agree!" Tyson nearly squeaked, jumping to his own feet. "I wouldn't have thought of it myself. Thanks, Johanna. I can always count on you!"

Johanna's smile widened as she nodded her head. "Don't mention it, dear! You know I'll always be there for you."

Tyson blushed slightly as he followed his mother-in-law back to the kitchen. Tammy was still sitting at the table, although her glass was empty.

"I see the lemonade was a big hit!" Johanna laughed, gaining the attention of her young granddaughter. "Would you both like some more?"

"Yes please!" Tammy chirped

''Sure.''

Johanna giggled and collected the glasses, bringing them back over to the counter for their refills. While she was busy with that, Tyson pulled a chair out next to her daughter and sat down, earning a curious glance from the little girl.

"Tam, I've got an idea for what we can do for Mommy for Mother's Day," Tyson began, causing her eyes to light up.

"Really?" Tammy gasped. "What is it, Daddy?"

"What do you think if the three of us went to Hawaii for the weekend?" Tyson asked. "We could take Mommy shopping, and out to eat, and go to the-"

"The beach?!" Tammy squealed, cutting her father off as she nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Yeah, the beach," Tyson chuckled, shaking off his surprise. "Wow, you took the words right out of my mouth, pumpkin!"

"I always know what you're going to say, Daddy," Tammy replied. "We've got the same brain, right? That's what Mommy says!"

Tyson chortled deeply. "Yeah, that's what Mommy says. So, do you think she'd like that?"

Tammy emphatically nodded her head.

"Are you just saying that because _you'd_ like it?" Tyson asked with a smirk.

"Nuh uh!" Tammy cried. "I mean it! Daddy, you and I have the same brain, but Mommy and I like the same things. So that means if I like it, she'll like it too!"

"Okay, okay, I believe you," Tyson snickered.

"Mommy would like it a lot," Tammy reiterated, nodding her head more slowly. "It's a good idea!"

"I'm glad you think so," Tyson commented. "Grammy came up with it!"

Tammy whipped her head around, her onyx eyes following her grandmother as she carried the refilled glasses back to the table. "You did, Grammy?"

"I suppose I did," Johanna replied rather sheepishly. She never liked to brag and became bashful whenever she ended up receiving an abundance of praise. "But I just wanted to help Daddy come up with the best present for your mommy! He wanted to do something very special. Isn't that so nice of him?"

"Yeah," Tammy murmured. "It is nice! It's cause Daddy really loves Mommy."

Tyson broke out into a huge grin. "Yes, I really love Mommy."

"Me too," Tammy squeaked before grabbing her glass and chugging the lemonade out of it. Tyson and Johanna exchanged glances before bursting out laughing, causing Tammy to look up with a raised eyebrow. "What? What's so funny?"

 **XXX**

As soon as Tyson presented his plan to Hilary, her eyes widened.

"Really?" She asked almost breathlessly. "A trip to Hawaii?"

"I thought it'd be nice, and fun," Tyson replied, gently shrugging his shoulders. "Well, actually, it was your Mom's idea. I think it's great! But if you'd rather stay here-"

"Oh no, I'd _love_ to go out there!" Hilary interrupted him. "Your mother always has the best suggestions! I would never turn down a chance to go to Hawaii. Besides, it might be good to get away from here for a little while."

Tyson just nodded his head, knowing exactly what Hilary meant. "Then that's what we'll do! I have other presents for you too, but you're not going to get those until Mother's Day."

Hilary smirked. "More? Tyson, you _really_ spoil me."

"Well, you deserve it," Tyson countered with his own big smile. "And don't say you don't! Because you won't win that argument."

"Normally I'd disagree with you, because I'm the _master_ at winning arguments," Hilary snickered. "But I know better than to challenge you about…well…me."

Tyson grinned and nodded his head. "Glad you understand. Now, let's get packing!"

"The better," Hilary breathed, her smile softening. "Thank you, Tyson. I love you."

Tyson chuckled and wrapped his arms around his wife. "I love you too."


	53. Chapter 53: Hiccups!

_Hic!_

The baby's eyes snapped open, and the two older kids hanging over her started to giggle. The baby grimaced, not at all amused and far more confused by what had just happened. After all, it _had_ been enough to stir her from her slumber.

 _Hic!_

There it was again! She grumbled and tightened her little hands into fists, waving them up and down. Her brother and sister were still giggling about the whole thing, which only further irritated the baby.

 _Hic!_

"Aw, Tam. Do you have the hiccups, little girl?"

The baby's frustration quelled to an extent as she was lifted up by her father. He was so sweet and so gentle…she adored and was completely fascinated by him.

"Daddy, it was so funny. She had a hiccup and it made her wake up!"

Tyson chuckled and glanced at his son. "Come on, buddy, that isn't funny!"

"Then how come you laughed?" Alan questioned, furrowing his brow.

Tyson tried to come up with an excuse, but he couldn't. "Okay fine, it's a little funny. But still, your poor baby sister is a little freaked out! You've gotta feel bad for her."

"I guess so," Alan murmured, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't get scared when I have the hiccups!"

"You did sometimes when you were a baby," Tyson replied. "It scared me and Mommy too."

"Why?" Vanessa chirped. "They're just hiccups!"

"Yeah, but we were nervous," Tyson sheepishly admitted, scratching his cheek. "You were the first child we had, so we didn't know what was normal and what wasn't."

"That's silly, Daddy!" Vanessa laughed.

"Yeah, it seems pretty silly now," Tyson agreed. "But not back then! We took everything really seriously. Now we know not to worry about something small like hiccups!"

 _Hic!_

Tyson smiled sympathetically at the baby in his arms and continued, "But that doesn't mean I _want_ Tam to have them, either." Raising the pitch of his voice, Tyson cooed to the little girl, "We have to try and get rid of those mean hiccups, don't we?"

"I know how to!" Alan cried, throwing his arm up. "We gotta scare her!"

"We're not going to scare her," Tyson sighed. "She's just a baby!"

"How else are you supposed to get rid of them?" Alan grumbled, tilting his head.

"I'll show you," Tyson chuckled. He held the baby against his chest and patted her back until she let out a small burp. He waited a minute, and when the baby didn't hiccup again, Tyson smirked and pulled her away, staring into her deep green eyes. "There! All gone!"

Tammy cooed happily, feeling much more content now that she was no longer hiccupping every few seconds.

"That's it?!" Alan cried. "Just a burp?!"

"Yep, that's all it takes," Tyson confirmed, nodding his head.

Alan scoffed and folded his arms. "That wasn't even a _good_ one."

"Ew, that's gross," Vanessa complained, narrowing her eyes at her kid brother.

"So's your face," Alan fired back, sticking his tongue out.

"Daddy!" Vanessa whined, whipping her head around.

"Alan, that wasn't nice," Tyson scolded. "Apologize to your sister."

Alan blinked before glancing at Tammy. "Sorry your burp was lame."

Tyson nearly fell on his face. "You know I meant Vanessa!"

The boy snickered and finally turned to look at his elder sister. "Sorry."

Vanessa didn't seem totally placated, but since Alan _had_ apologized, she couldn't really complain about it. Tyson, on the other hand, was perfectly satisfied and patted Alan atop his head. "Good boy."

He put Tammy back down on her pillow and turned his attention back to the battle he'd been watching on TV. Alan and Vanessa, on the other hand, exchanged looks with one another before glancing back down at their baby sister. She was smiling to herself and lolling her head from side-to-side.

"Tam's much happier now that she doesn't have the hiccups," Vanessa noted. "Daddy, you did a good job!"

Tyson looked towards Vanessa and chuckled. "Thanks!"

"How'd you know to do that?" Vanessa asked.

"Lots of experience," Tyson replied easily, casually stretching his arms up over his head.

"Cause me and Alan had hiccups when we were babies?" Vanessa questioned.

"Yep!"

Vanessa thought it over for a moment before continuing, "what about when you didn't know what to do? What'd you do?"

"Uh…"

"Did you try and scare us like Alan?"

"No! Of course not! I knew better than to scare babies."

"Did you call Gramps? She always knows what to do!"

"Nope."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Did you just do nothing?"

Tyson sat in silence for a split second before bursting out in nervous laughter. "Okay, that's enough questions for now! Why don't we all sit nicely and watch this battle, huh? It's a really good one!"

 _Hic!_

Alan and Vanessa looked down at Tammy. She was staring right back at them, her eyes set wide.

"Again?" Tyson groaned, observing the baby. In response, Tammy gurgled and frowned.

"Quit sucking in all the air!" Alan cried. Tyson and Vanessa both glanced at him, raising their eyebrows. "What? That's how you get hiccups!"

"Where'd you learn that?" Tyson questioned, tilting his head.

"Uncle Ray," Alan replied simply.

"Um…okay," Tyson sighed, picking Tammy back up. "Why do you keep doing that, huh? You know those hiccups are no fun!"

Tammy frowned before hiccupping again, whining immediately after and threatening to burst out into a screaming fit.

"It's alright!" Tyson quickly assured her, holding the baby against his chest and patting her back once again. She burped, and with that, her hiccups once again ceased. "There we go. Think you could stop taking in so much air, pumpkin?"

Tammy cooed softly. Tyson knew she probably didn't understand him, and definitely couldn't respond, but _man_ did he wish she could!

"Let's try that," Tyson sighed, gently placing her back down. "You know, I'm really starting to see a lot of Mommy in you. It's cute, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a little nervous…"

Tammy mumbled (incoherently, of course) and stuffed a fist in her mouth. Vanessa was watching her baby sister intently, and now, she was a bit less impressed by her father than she'd been before.

"Daddy, are you sure you fixed them this time?" Vanessa demanded.

Tyson seemed taken off guard by his older daughter's question. "Uh…I think so? I mean, I can't guarantee they won't come back-"

"Cause they already did?" Vanessa interrupted, tilting her head.

Tyson's cheeks flashed red. "Well, I can't really stop her from sucking in too much air…"

"Why?" Vanessa prodded.

"Because I can't," Tyson groaned, slowly growing tired of the interrogation. He felt like he was in a post-battle press conference!

"But how come?" Vanessa asked again. Alan was switching his brown eyes between his father and sister, grinning with devious enjoyment.

"I just can't," Tyson sighed noisily. "No more questions, alright? Let's pay attention to the TV instead! Seriously, this battle is really good."

 _Hic!_

Tyson's eye twitched. He slowly turned his head towards Tammy, who all of a sudden didn't look too happy again. She was still and quiet, however, until Tyson began to look back at the TV.

 _Hic!_

He choked in frustration as he covered his face with his hands. "Why? Why can't I just watch this battle?"

"Daddy, you didn't fix her right."

"I know, Vanessa."

"Should we call Gramps?"

"No, Vanessa."

"Can I teach Tammy how to burp better?"

"No, Alan."


	54. Chapter 54: Packed Lunch

Hilary's brow furrowed as she examined the calendar that hung on the kitchen wall.

She used it to try and keep her life organized, but half the time it just made everything feel more complicated. Probably because there was so much she had to keep track off. Between Alan's baseball practices and games, Vanessa's swimming practices and meets, Tammy's dance classes, doctor's appointments, playdates, and work commitments for both her _and_ Tyson…the calendar often came up looking like a jumbled mess.

The little square that represented today was particularly bad. Tyson had an interview at BBA at 10, and she had to be there with him. Vanessa had swim practice from 11 to 2, Alan had baseball practice from 12 to 3, and Tam had ballet class from 4 to 5.

The whole day was packed.

Hilary sighed and rubbed her temple. The stress was building, and it wasn't even 8 o'clock in the morning.

The pressure only continued to build as Alan and Vanessa came trampling down the stairs, already arguing with one another. Hilary twitched an eyebrow and spun around, watching as they stormed into the kitchen.

"I told you not to touch my stuff!" Vanessa hissed, her hands balled into fists.

"I already told you I didn't touch your dumb swim bag," Alan challenged, rolling his eyes.

"You're such a liar," Vanessa grumbled, shaking her head.

"Am not!" Alan cried. "Why would I want anything in there?"

"To annoy me!"

"You two just woke up and you're already fighting?" Hilary groaned, finally deciding to interject.

"Mom, I can't find my favorite goggles," Vanessa fussed, ignoring her mother's question. "I'm sure Alan took them out of my swim bag to mess with me!"

"I didn't!" Alan argued.

Hilary sighed tiredly and inclined her head. "Vanessa, just because you can't find them doesn't mean your brother took them. I'll help you look for the goggles after breakfast…which I haven't even started making yet."

Vanessa didn't seem thrilled with letting Alan off the hook that easily, but regardless, she gave up the argument. Alan, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased that he was no longer the target of a witch hunt, and allowed a cheeky smile to grow on his face.

Hilary didn't see any of this, however. She already had her back turned towards the children, retrieving a pan to place on the stove. She switched on the heat before walking over to the fridge to pull out the carton of eggs, carrying them back over to her cooking station.

"Alan, Vanessa," Hilary called. She didn't look up from the stove, but she could easily sense she had gained both of their attention. "I have an important day, so I have to make sure I'm there early. No later than 9. Gramps is coming over to watch you two and Tammy, so make sure you behave and don't rouse him up for a sword fight."

Vanessa frowned. "Who's gonna take me to swimming?"

"'Mariah is going to pick you up," Hilary replied effortlessly. She may have been stressed, but fortunately, her brain was still firing at all cylinders. "And Alan, Arnie's dad will take you to baseball practice."

"Kay," both children mumbled tiredly.

Hilary was about to crack one of the eggs on the side of the pan, but stopped and let out a sharp gasp as realization hit. Maybe her brain wasn't working as well as she thought it was. Alan and Vanessa both exchanged bewildered looks before turning their eyes back onto their mother.

"Mom, are you okay?" Alan asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Hilary sighed, hunching her shoulders. "I just forgot you'll both need to bring lunch with you. But I haven't started on that yet either, and I'm running out of time."

Vanessa thought about it for a moment before her green eyes lit up. "That's okay! Alan and I will just make our own lunches!"

Alan's eyes widened, but his weren't bright like his sister's. "…what?"

"We should learn to do that kind of stuff anyway, right?" Vanessa asked theoretically. "Otherwise we won't be able to cook just like Dad, and that'd be bad."

Hilary smirked at the example. "You're right, it's definitely something you should learn. But I don't really want you two cooking a whole meal. Can you just try and make yourselves a sandwich or something like that?"

"Yeah, that'll be easy," Vanessa assured, hopping towards the pantry.

"Easy for you to say!" Alan cried, rushing after her.

Vanessa reached the pantry first and pulled open the doors, catching sight of the sliced bread and grabbing the package. She strutted towards the counter, Alan once again trailing close behind her. Vanessa removed the bag's twist tie and was surprised when she pulled out the last two slices of bread.

"I guess Mom didn't realize we had such little bread left," Vanessa noted aloud before shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well!"

Alan blinked hard as she placed both slices on a paper plate. "You're not gonna share?!"

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to share? I need both pieces if I want to make a sandwich."

"But _I_ wanted a sandwich too!" Alan bickered.

"That's too bad," Vanessa chirped. "Guess you'll have to find something else!"

"Mom!" Alan shouted, causing his mother to wince. "There's only two pieces of bread left and Vanessa took them both for herself!"

"Only two left?!" Hilary exhaled sharply. "Ugh, I'll have to try and run to the supermarket today too."

"But what about my lunch?" Alan whined.

"It is awfully hard to split two slices of bread, Alan," Hilary reasoned with him. "Those would be some very small sandwiches! Could you try and find something else to make?"

Vanessa grinned, amused that her mother had suggested the exact same thing as her. Alan scowled and pinched his sister's arm, causing her to yelp. "Mom, Alan pinched me!"

"Would you two stop fighting?" Hilary demanded, finally losing her patience. "You're starting to sound too much like Dad and I as kids, and it's not cute."

"Kids?" Alan deadpanned. "You guys _still_ argue like that."

Hilary frowned and turned back towards the stove. "Start looking for something to make your lunch with."

Alan snickered, amused that he had befuddled his mother, and walked back over to the pantry. He browsed the shelves, looking over boxes of pasta and cookies and cereal, cups of fruit and other ingredients that just wouldn't add up for a lunch that he'd have to make. Alan looked over his shoulder, frowning as he watched his sister use a knife to spread some peanut butter on one of her slices of her bread. He just wanted a sandwich too! It definitely seemed like the easiest thing to make…you couldn't really mess up a sandwich, after all.

When Alan turned his head back towards the panty, another package caught his eye. He pulled it out and examined the bag before grinning to himself and closing the door, proudly pulling up next to his sister. He dropped the package on the counter, creating a small rush of air that led Vanessa to look down. As soon as she saw what he'd put down, Vanessa blinked and shot him an incredulous look.

"Hamburger buns?"

"Yeah, it's bread!" Alan chuckled. "Pass me the peanut butter."

As the children were finishing up making their lunch, and Hilary was simultaneously finishing making breakfast, Tyson came down the stairs with Tammy in his arms and Tucker following at his feet.

"Morning!" Tyson announced, as cheery as always.

"Ah, look who's finally awake," Hilary teased, still keeping her back turned.

"Hey, some people in this family need a little extra beauty rest," Tyson quickly, though playfully, retorted. "We can't all just wake up as beautiful as you are."

"Ooh, that was smooth," Hilary marveled, sounding genuinely impressed. "How can I even pretend to be mad after a compliment like that?"

"How can you even be pretend to be mad at a face like this?" Tyson questioned, motioning towards himself.

"Alright, let's not push it," Hilary sighed, her smile deceiving her by widening. "Put Tammy down and set the table for me, would you? Breakfast is just about ready."

"Kay," Tyson agreed.

He placed Tammy down in her chair at the table and gave her a little pat on the head before heading over to the children, who were hastily stuffing their lunches into brown paper bags.

"What are you guys up to?" Tyson chuckled.

"We decided to help Mom out and make our own lunches!" Vanessa replied.

"Ah, that was very nice!" Tyson crowed. "What'd you both make?"

"I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich," Vanessa answered.

"Hey, that's always a good choice!" Tyson complimented. "What about you, Alan?"

Before the boy could respond, Hilary's voice rang out, "everyone come get breakfast!"

Alan and Vanessa ran past their father so fast they nearly spun him around. He remained there stunned for a short moment before Hilary called again, "Tyson, if you don't sit down now, these three are going to eat everything!"

"Coming!" Tyson breathed, walking briskly towards the table.

In front of every seat sat a plate of scrambled eggs. In the middle of the table there was a single plate filled with bacon, and a large bowl full of fruit. Alan, Vanessa, and Tammy were all grabbing for the bacon, dropping the slices on their plates.

"We're all going to eat some fruit too, right?" Hilary prodded. "Not just the bacon?"

"But the bacon's the best part!" Alan exclaimed, stuffing an entire strip in his mouth to prove his point.

"Maybe, but the fruit is good _for_ you," Hilary reminded him. "And please try and take bites of your food instead of shoving the whole thing in your mouth."

Alan smirked and picked up another piece of bacon, this time taking a more conservative bite of it.

Across the table, Tammy picked up her plastic fork (she, unlike the rest of her family, used toddler tableware) and began stabbing rather mercilessly at her eggs. Tyson let out a short laugh before covering his mouth after Hilary shot him a disapproving look.

"Tammy, do you need help?" Hilary asked kindly.

"No," Tammy quickly refuted. "I do it."

"Of course," Hilary sighed, turning her attention back to her own breakfast.

"Hey, I think it's great that she's so independent!" Tyson chuckled. "You go ahead and feed yourself, Tam."

Tammy finally managed to pick up some eggs with her fork and tried to stuff it in her mouth, but it slipped off and landed on her lap instead. Tyson's previously broad smile weakened, while Hilary was anything but surprised.

"She's independent alright," Hilary muttered. "But actually getting the food in her mouth is still a challenge."

This time, Hilary took the plastic fork without asking, and Tammy didn't protest. The rest of breakfast went without incident, and everyone easily finished off their meals. As she finished chewing her last bite, Hilary flicked her wrist to take a look at her watch and check the time. It was just past 8:30 A.M.

"Okay, everyone, plates in the sink," Hilary instructed. "Gramps is going to be here any minute, and I don't want him to walk into a messy kitchen!"

All three kids cheered and followed their mother's instructions, even little Tammy (who was always up for following after her older siblings in whatever they did).

"Mom, you said you'd help me look for my goggles!" Vanessa reminded her mother. "And if we find them in Alan's room-"

"I remember," Hilary cut her off, giving the girl a pointed look. "And I'm almost positive we won't."

"What do you mean 'almost'?" Alan grumbled, looking somewhat offended.

"Alright, I'm sorry, I'm _sure_ we won't," Hilary corrected herself. "No more arguing, alright? Both of you head upstairs and make sure your bags are in order and ready to go so you don't keep Mariah and Arnie's parents waiting! I'll be up there in just a few minutes."

Alan and Vanessa both scurried up the stairs. Tammy tilted her head and watched them go, only putting it up back upright once they were out of sight.

"Wha- -bout me, Mommy?" Tammy squeaked.

"Mmm…" Hilary intoned, trying to think. "How about you go watch some cartoons?''

Tammy beamed as she nodded her head before running into the next room. Hilary smiled to herself and got to her feet, picking up her plate with the intent to put it in the sink. She was surprised, however, when Tyson pulled up next to her and took the plate out of her hands.

"I'll take care of the dishes," Tyson offered. "You go help the kids out upstairs!"

"Aw!" Hilary giggled and pressed a kiss against her husband's cheek. "You're so sweet! Thanks, Tyson!"

"Heh, no prob," Tyson assured her, walking towards the sink. Hilary watched him go, and as she did, the two paper bags sitting on the counter caught her attention.

"Oh, Alan and Vanessa forgot to bring their lunches up with them," Hilary breathed. "I'd better bring them upstairs with me or those two won't remember to put them in their bags!"

Hilary moved forward to retrieve the lunches. As she grabbed them, she realized there was something else that had been left out on the counter: a package of hamburger buns.

"What?" Hilary murmured to herself.

Opening up the paper bag in her left hand, Hilary raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a plastic sandwich container, opening it up and being met with-

"What're you looking at?"

Hilary blinked and glanced up at Tyson, who was watching her from just a few feet away. The water was running in the sink, and he held a wet plate in his hands, soap and water dripping from its rim back into the sink.

"Oh, nothing," Hilary replied lightly, popping the top back on the container. "Just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich our son made with hamburger buns."

"Hamburger buns?" Tyson repeated.

"Yeah, we ran out of bread, and when I told him to make something else, I guess he decided to get creative instead," Hilary explained, sliding the container back into the paper bag.

"Technically, hamburger buns _are_ bread," Tyson pointed out.

"I'm aware," Hilary sighed, gathering both paper bags. "And honestly, at this point, I'm too tired to argue how ridiculous it is, because you're right. It's still bread."

Tyson blinked and looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. "Tired? It's 8:45 in the morning."

"Yeah, and I feel like I've been awake for 15 hours straight," Hilary calmly argued. "Don't forget, we have a collective interview at 10. And then there's a new sponsorship meeting at 2."

"Aw man, that's going to take all day," Tyson groaned, hanging his head. "I'm gonna need to bring myself a mid-morning snack."

"What about a sandwich?" Hilary suggested, turning her back to him as she headed for the stairs. "I'll leave the hamburger buns on the counter for you."

Tyson turned his eyes from his wife onto the package of buns and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I'm not picky.


	55. Chapter 55: Mistletoe

"We need red lights, and blue lights, and green lights, and-"

"Shouldn't we just get rainbow lights, then?"

"Oh yeah! That's a good idea!"

Vanessa furrowed her brow as she glanced over at the mountain of boxes next to her brother. There had to be at least 10 of them piled up. "Did you take all of those?"

"Yeah, I think they're good," Alan confirmed, nodding his head.

"Guys, look what I…whoa, that's a lot of lights, champ."

Alan spun around and beamed at his father. "Our house is gonna look so cool, Dad!"

"It definitely is, but that might be a few too many," Tyson chuckled, nodding towards the boxes. "We do still have some at home, after all."

"But they're not cool like these!" Alan cried.

"Why are these so cool?" Vanessa asked, pointing at Alan's collection.

"Cause they have a picture of them on the bushes," Alan explained, motioning towards the photo for emphasis.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow and glanced up at her father, silently pleading for him to tell Alan that was a stupid reason. Tyson, however, was not about to do that, and simply offered his son a polite smile.

"We'll look through them in a minute and decide which ones we want to take home with us," Tyson decided. "But I wanted to show you guys something first!"

"What?" Vanessa squeaked, tilting her head.

"Is it more lights?" Alan asked excitedly.

"No," Tyson chuckled, holding his hand out. In his possession was a spring of bright green leaves, dotted with red berries and adorned on the stem by a red bow.

"It's a plant," Alan dully noted.

"Not _just_ a plant," Tyson replied, chuckling. "It's a Mistletoe!"

"Mistletoe?" Vanessa repeated, sounding confused.

"Does it blow up?" Alan questioned.

"It does not," Tyson refuted, smirking. "You hang it up, and whichever two people stand underneath it have to kiss!"

Alan twisted his face at the explanation. "That's gross."

"No, it's cute!" Tyson laughed. "I think I'm going to buy this and bring it home with us."

"Why?" Alan grumbled.

"Because Mom likes it," Tyson explained. "Besides, it'll be a nice decoration for _inside_ the house! We can't only focus on the outside, after all."

Alan pouted. "But the outside is the best part."

Vanessa, on the other hand, beamed at her father. " _I_ think the mistletoe is cute, Daddy!"

Alan scowled as he glanced over at his elder sister. "Suck up."

"Alan, that's not nice," Tyson scolded. "If you don't behave, I won't buy _any_ lights."

The young boy instantly perked up, trying to present a happy façade. "Okay, I'll be nice! I like this one, Dad!"

Tyson sighed and smirked as his son patted one of the boxes. "Alright, we'll bring that one home too."

 **XXX**

Hilary giggled as she watched Tammy turn the page of the book that was sitting between them. Pointing at the paper, Hilary asked her little daughter, "What's that? Do you know?"

Tammy mimicked her mother and pointed at the picture as well. "Twee!"

"That _is_ a tree!" Hilary crowed. "But it's a special tree, right? That's a _Christmas_ tree!"

Tammy looked over her shoulder and pointed towards the corner of the room. "Twee!"

"Yeah, that's _our_ Christmas tree!" Hilary cooed. "It looks like a regular tree now, but Daddy, Alan, and Vanessa are going to come back with all kinds of pretty things we can decorate it with. Then it'll really be a Christmas tree!"

Tucker suddenly slunk beneath the pine, whacking at the low hanging branches with one of his paws. Tammy began to laugh wildly, highly entertained by the silly canine. Hilary, on the other hand, sighed and got to her feet.

"Tucker, what have I said about playing around with the tree?" Hilary questioned, folding her arms.

"raw," Tucker purred, emerging from under the tree.

"Thank you," Hilary trilled, grinning at the dog.

Suddenly, the jiggling of a lock sounded, and the front door opened, the rest of the family having returned from the store.

"You guys were gone for a while," Hilary remarked. "Did you find everything okay?"

"Yeah, maybe a little too well," Tyson chuckled.

"We got lots of cool lights, Mom!" Alan exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.

"You did?" Hilary giggled.

"Yeah, they're awesome," Alan replied.

"I like the twinkly rainbow ones the best!" Vanessa chimed in.

"Hmm, it does sound like the shopping went a bit too well," Hilary commented, glancing up at her husband. "Just how many lights did you buy?"

"Not _that_ many," Tyson calmly argued. "Like…six boxes."

Hilary smirked and shook her head. "Great, so six new boxes to go along with all the boxes we already have?"

"It's not like we had tons of lights before," Tyson refuted.

"We had a fair amount," Hilary scoffed.

"It's okay, Mom, cause we're gonna have the best house in the whole city!" Alan cheered.

"Yeah, the brightest and the prettiest!" Vanessa agreed.

"Oh, good, we're going to be _those_ people," Hilary sighed, though she was smiling.

"Hey, those are the best kind of people!" Tyson crowed. "They get so into the holidays, it's awesome! I always wanted to decorate our house like that growing up, but we couldn't afford to buy that many lights."

"You don't have to make your house visible from space to show how much you love Christmas," Hilary reasoned with her husband.

"Nah, I know that," Tyson agreed. "It's also about the food, and the presents, and-"

"Your family?" Hilary interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"I was getting there," Tyson whined. "You cut me off before I could!"

Hilary giggled and tilted her head. "Right."

"Oh, Daddy, show Mommy what else we bought!" Vanessa cried, tugging at her father's pants.

Hilary blinked. "I thought you were only going to get lights."

"That was the plan, but I found something else that I thought would be nice," Tyson explained, turning around and kneeling to dig in one of the plastic bags he'd brought inside. He pulled out the mistletoe, catching Hilary's interest. It caught Tammy's as well, who ambled to her feet and began toddling towards her father.

"Mistletoe?" Hilary snickered.

"I thought it was cute," Tyson chuckled, taking another close look at the plant.

"It's gross," Alan complained, sticking his tongue out.

"Well, I happen to like mistletoe!" Hilary laughed. "I'm not surprised Daddy does too, even though it took him years to get there."

Alan and Vanessa curiously glanced up at their father, who sheepishly began to rub the back of his neck.

"Daddy, what does Mommy mean?" Vanessa asked, tilting her head.

"Uh…"

"When Daddy and I were younger, I used to get him under the mistletoe to try and kiss him," Hilary explained, smirking at a flustered Tyson. "But he always freaked out and ran off!"

Alan and Vanessa both began to laugh wildly, causing Tyson to blush. "Come on, I was just a kid! That's hardly fair."

"So you thought it was gross too!" Alan cried.

"I did not!" Tyson argued, although his blush had intensified. "It just made me nervous, that's all."

Tammy, who was too young to laugh at her father's expense like her older siblings, simply attached herself to his leg and rubbed her cheek against his shin. Glancing down, Tyson showed off a relieved smile, scooping up the toddler with one arm.

"Hey there, pumpkin," he cooed. "You wanna see the mistletoe?"

He held the spring out towards Tammy, whose eyes widened out of curiosity. Like most children her age, Tammy was very inquisitive and loved to examine things she was not familiar with. She reached out and gently touched one of the leaves, giggling when she felt how soft it was.

Chuckling, Tyson slowly pulled the mistletoe away from his daughter and instead held it above both of their heads. Tammy squeaked and tilted her head back to stare at it, watching as the plant gently swayed.

"Now _we_ have to give each other a kiss!" Tyson laughed. Tammy, however, just looked confused. With a small smile, Tyson pressed a delicate kiss against his daughter's forehead, causing her to shriek with delight.

"Dada!" Tammy babbled, reaching up to hold onto his cheeks.

"Where's my kiss?" Tyson asked the toddler. "Do I get one too?"

Tammy smirked and shook her head.

"No?" Tyson gasped. Tammy shook her head again.

"Just like Daddy when he was little!" Vanessa giggled. Alan looked at her before joining in, leading their father to furrow his brow.

"Alright, that's enough of _that_ for one day," Tyson tiredly decided, putting the mistletoe to the side.

"Good, because I have to put Tam down for her nap," Hilary breathed, gently taking the little girl from Tyson's grasp.

"But I thought we were gonna do the decorations!" Alan whined.

"Sweetheart, relax," Hilary sighed, her eyes travelling towards Tammy as the toddler put her head down on her mother's shoulder. "We can do a little bit once Tammy is asleep. I just don't want us to do something like the tree. Tam should be there for that."

"What about the lights?" Alan asked.

"We can do those," Hilary assured him. "That's something Tam is too small to help with anyway. But I also need you and Vanessa to try on your Christmas outfits for me."

Alan pulled a face at that request. "I hate dressing up for Christmas."

"I know you do," Hilary scoffed.

"So how come I hafta?" Alan groaned.

"Because it's a nice holiday, so you should look nice," Hilary replied. "Besides, everyone else in the family dresses up!"

Alan raised an eyebrow. "Then I should be different!"

Hilary smirked. "You're very cute, buddy."

The boy's face lit up. "So I don't hafta dress up?"

"No, you still have to."

Alan sulked as his mother turned towards the stairs. Vanessa laughed at her brother's misfortune, causing him to scowl at her.

"You shouldn't laugh," Alan smartly reminded his twin. "That means you've gotta wear some kinda girly dress."

Vanessa quickly stopped giggling, knowing her brother was right. Tyson smiled at the two and knelt down to their level.

"Why don't you two head upstairs so you can try on those outfits and get it over with?" Tyson suggested. "I promise I won't do any decorating without you!"

"Fine," Alan grumbled, stomping towards the stairs. Vanessa, however, wasn't as quick to move, and stared at her father as she batted her eyelashes.

"What's up, Van?" Tyson asked. "Aren't you going to go with Alan?"

"Yeah," Vanessa replied slowly. "But Daddy, I have a question."

"Yes, princess?"

Vanessa pointed at the mistletoe. "Who made up that whole story about having to kiss people under that thing?"

Tyson blinked. "Um…I'm not sure."

"So that means you don't really have to do it, right?"

"Well, no, you don't _have_ to do anything. It's just like a tradition."

"Could we do something else?"

Tyson seemed perplexed. "Why do you want to do something else?"

"I don't know," Vanessa admitted. "Just cause maybe it'd be fun! I like making up stories. So I can make one up just like whoever made up all that kissy stuff!"

"We'll see," Tyson finally relented, smirking at his daughter. "Go try on your outfit, kay?"

"Okay," Vanessa squeaked, turning on a heel and running off.

As she ascended the steps, Tyson finally put his attention back on the mistletoe. He grew wide eyed, however, when he saw that Tucker had jumped on the top of the couch and was slowly inching towards the plant.

"Tuck, what are you doing?" Tyson asked slowly.

Tucker glanced at him before continuing his lazy stride towards the mistletoe. Before Tyson could process it, the dog had batted it off the couch and jumped down after it, continuing to swat it around the floor.

"Tucker!" Tyson groaned, diving after the dog. He mewled and jumped out of the way, sending Tyson face first into the floor.

Then, the canine, who was completely oblivious to all of the carnage he'd inadvertently caused, rolled over on his back and began tossing the mistletoe in the air using his front paws.

Tyson looked up, grimacing at the partner. Although loyal and sweet, Tucker's playful side tended to overtake him rather easily, and he could create an awful lot of trouble and mess without meaning to. That made it pretty easy to get frustrated, but not enough to take it out on the innocent animal.

"I have to get that mistletoe back," Tyson declared.

Getting up on his hands and knees, Tyson crawled over to Tucker, who was still busy playing with the holiday plant. "Hey, Tucker, would it be alright if I took that from you? It's part of our Christmas decorations, and I need to hang it up! I'd be happy to give you something else to play with instead!"

Tucker halted his paws and turned his head, though he continued to lie on his back with the mistletoe resting in his palms. "roo?"

"So I can have it?" Tyson asked, pointing at the mistletoe before reaching out for it. "That'd be-"

The dog barked and threw the plant once again, getting up to his feet and smacking it with his tail once it got close enough to him again.

"Great," Tyson grumbled as the dog scurried off.

Tyson sighed, shaking his head. "It was worth a shot, though."

"What's Tucker got?"

Tyson looked over his shoulder just in time to see Vanessa hopping down the stairs, sporting a navy blue dress printed with red roses and green leaves and sporting a red rosette at the green lined waist. The little girl didn't give her father time to respond, however, before asking a follow up question: "is that the mistletoe?"

"Hey, I like that _way_ better than kissing!"

Alan was laughing wildly as he pulled up beside his sister, wearing a red sweater with plaid shoulder patches and dark gray dress pants.

"Guys, come on, it's not funny!" Tyson whined. "I need help getting it back!"

"Why don't you just ask?" Vanessa suggested.

"I already tried that," Tyson begrudgingly admitted.

Vanessa thought about it for a moment before her face lit up. "I know! Let's make _this_ our tradition with the mistletoe!"

"What, have Tucker destroy it?!" Tyson cried.

Vanessa grinned and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I like that!" Alan continued laughing.

Hilary came slowly down the stairs, silently watching as Tucker continued to run around with the mistletoe as the kids giggled and Tyson fretted. Once she reached the bottom, the mother shook her head and approached their dog, kneeling down and gently plucking the spring from his mouth. Tucker mewled sadly, but stopped as soon as Hilary pet his head.

"This isn't a toy, Tucker," Hilary gently informed. "You can always play with something else!"

As she stood back up, Alan groaned. "Aw, why'd you stop her?"

"Because the mistletoe isn't a toy, just like I told her," Hilary replied. "I know you guys think it's a little silly, but Daddy and I really like it."

"I don't think it's silly, Mommy," Vanessa refuted. "I just wanted to make up something that's just for our family!"

"Which was very sweet," Hilary assured her. "But our family has lots of traditions that are special just to us! The mistletoe may be something that a lot of families do, but it can still be very special."

Turning towards Tyson, Hilary held the mistletoe out towards him. "Why don't you hang this up so it's out of Tucker's reach?"

Tyson blinked, but took the plant out of her hand and got to his feet, walking towards the doorway between the living room and the foyer. "What do you think? Right here?"

Hilary hummed and glanced down at the twins. "Do you guys like that spot?"

Vanessa's eyes shimmered as she rapidly nodded her head. "Yeah! It's perfect!"

Alan, on the other hand, was nowhere near as excited, though he was willing to give his input. "That's fine."

With the placement decided, Tyson tied the mistletoe's bright red ribbon around a small, barely visible hook in the very top of the doorway. Once he was done, he took a step back and placed his hands on his hips, examining his work.

Hilary beamed at her husband, and then down at her children. "You two are such a big help! Thank you!"

"Of course!" Vanessa chirped, leading Hilary to giggle.

"Now, why don't we get you out of those nice clothes so we can _really_ start decorating?" Hilary suggested.

They both cheered loudly, causing Tucker to pick his head up from the spot on the floor where he'd now busied himself with one of Tammy's stray toys.

"Go upstairs quietly," Hilary instructed. "I don't want you to wake up your little sister. I'll be there in just a minute."

Alan and Vanessa nodded before clamoring up the stairs. Once they were out of sight, Hilary strode towards Tyson, who had turned towards her with an innocent look plastered on his face. Smirking, Hilary reached out and gently pushed Tyson until they were both standing in the nearest doorway. Tyson waited for her to do something, and was surprised when all she did was tilt her head back. He did the same, and chuckled when he realized she was staring at the mistletoe.

"So…you like it?" Tyson asked, smiling slyly at his wife.

Without a word, Hilary grabbed the material of his shirt and yanked him forward, catching his lips in her own. Tyson smiled against the kiss, reaching up to gently touch her face. Once Hilary pulled away, she smiled softly at him and rested her forehead against his.

"No. I _love_ it. And I love you."

Tyson laughed and closed his eyes. "I love you, too."


	56. Chapter 56: A Tricky Halloween

Tammy, who was sitting at the kitchen table trying to do homework, jumped when a large box was dropped in front of her. It had been courtesy of her older brother, and the girl was none too pleased about it.

"Alan!" She hissed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Ready to go trick or treating?" Alan asked, ignoring the fact his sister was obviously annoyed.

"Aren't you kinda old for that?" Tammy scoffed as she glanced back down at her notebook.

Alan scowled at the comment. "You're never too old to go trick or treating!"

"Yeah, that's what Daddy always says, but he's _definitely_ too old," Tammy sighed, shaking her head.

"If he's too old, how come people still give him candy?" Alan challenged.

"Easy: because he's the Champion," Tammy replied, shrugging her shoulders as she quickly looked up at her brother. "You can't have the Champion come to your house and then not give him candy. But it's still embarrassing."

"You know what's embarrassing?" Alan asked before snatching Tammy's notebook off the table. "Doing homework on Halloween."

"Hey!" Tammy cried, jumping up. "Give that back!"

"Tam, don't turn into a nerd like Vanessa," Alan practically pleaded. "I'd like to have at least one sister who's kind of cool."

Tammy blinked. "You think I'm cool?"

"I said kind of," Alan corrected.

"I'm almost finished anyway," Tammy reasoned with him, holding her hand out. "Just give it back so I can do the last question."

"Do you _like_ doing homework?" Alan pressed, not willing to give the notebook back so easily.

"No," Tammy quickly refuted, scrunching up her nose. "Who likes doing homework?"

"Vanessa," Alan answered shortly, handing the notebook back to Tammy. "That's why she's a nerd."

Tammy thought it over for a moment before agreeing, "Yeah, that's kind of nerdy."

Alan pumped a fist before idly commenting, "I knew you were pretty cool!"

"Well one of us has to be," Tammy chirped, sitting back down.

Alan snickered before slowing down to think. "Wait…you mean between you and Vanessa, right?"

"No, I meant you too," Tammy giggled, causing Alan's sour look to return.

"Okay, who's ready to go trick or treating?"

Tammy sighed as her father came running into the kitchen, obviously overflowing with excitement.

"I already asked Tammy, but she's being weird and doing homework," Alan scoffed.

"You're doing homework on Halloween?" Tyson asked his youngest child, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of teacher gives out homework on Halloween?"

"It's just a little bit!" Tammy whined. "And no, I _don't_ like homework! So don't ask!"

"Okay, I won't," Tyson chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair. He suddenly noticed the box on the table and walked up to it, slowly sifting through its contents. "What's this stuff?"

"It's for trick or treating," Alan cheerfully replied.

"Why do you need all of this for trick or treating?" Tyson questioned.

"For the trick part, duh!" Alan laughed.

Tyson's eyes widened. "Your mother didn't see this box, did she?"

"No, why?"

"Good," Tyson sighed out of relief. "She _hates_ the trick part. Probably because I'm always tricking her, whether it's Halloween or not. That's why she's not so big on Halloween. At least not the tricks. She's always loved taking you guys trick or treating! But…for the treat part."

"You guys talk too much," Tammy noted, finally flipping her notebook closed.

"That's real funny coming from you," Alan lightly teased. "You love to talk!"

"Yeah, but I say interesting stuff," Tammy calmly argued, standing up and pushing her chair away. "I'm going to put on my costume!"

"What're you being this year, pumpkin?" Tyson asked sweetly.

Tammy beamed at the inquiry. "The White Swan!"

Alan, however, was not impressed. "Uh…all Swan are white."

"The White Swan is from Swan Lake," Tammy droned.

Alan still wasn't getting it. "And that's…?"

"A super famous ballet!" Tammy practically shrieked before rolling her eyes. "You really don't know anything, do you?"

"Tammy, that isn't nice," Tyson warned his daughter.

"But it's true," Tammy murmured, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"Nice try, but no matter how cute you are, that still wasn't nice," Tyson stood his ground. "Say you're sorry."

"Fine," Tammy huffed, turning towards her brother. "I'm sorry." She then turned back towards her father. "Can I go put on my costume now?"

Tyson smirked and nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."

Tammy spun around on her toes and made a run for the stairs, disappearing from the sight of her father and brother rather quickly.

"So who do you plan on tricking?" Tyson asked, turning back towards the box and plucking out a rubber bat.

"Whoever I can," Alan nonchalantly replied. "I figure whichever poor sucker walks into whatever trap I set probably deserves it."

"You know, if your mom didn't hate tricks so much, I'd say you sound just like her," Tyson snickered.

"Why does Alan sound like me?"

Tyson and Alan both gasped; Tyson chucking the rubber bat back in the box as Alan grabbed it and hastily threw it underneath the kitchen table. Hilary suddenly appeared in the doorway, her eyebrow slightly raised. She seemed happy, however, which implied that she hadn't seen the box or heard any of Tyson and Alan's prior conversation.

"No real reason," Tyson chuckled. "Just makes me think of you."

"Aw, that's sweet," Hilary giggled. She looked her son up and down, and frowned when she realized something was missing. "Alan, where's your costume?"

"I'm already in it!" Alan declared. "I'm going as myself!"

Hilary rolled her eyes. "Don't be one of those kids, Alan. If you're going to go trick or treating without a costume, then maybe you shouldn't be going."

"But Dad never dresses up and _he_ goes!" Alan cried. "And people have no problem giving him candy!"

"That's because he's the Champion," Hilary sighed. "You can't have the Champion come to your house and not give him candy. Doesn't make it any less embarrassing, though."

Alan twisted his mouth and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, trying to figure out why that answer sounded so familiar.

"Hey, it's not embarrassing!" Tyson retorted. "I just really like Halloween, that's all! Besides, you should be grateful. I always share my candy with you."

Hilary smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, good point."

"Okay, I'm ready!"

Alan, Tyson, and Hilary looked towards the stairs, and found Tammy scurrying down them. When she reached the doorway and became fully visible, so did her costume: a white leotard and tutu adorned by feathers and rhinestones, with white feathers also wrapped around her upper arms and placed across her back. She had tied her dark hair up into a bun, decorated with a sparkly tiara and white feathers clipped onto the sides of her head.

"Oh, sweetie, you look so beautiful!" Hilary fussed, clasping her hands together.

"Yeah, that's an awesome costume!" Tyson agreed. "I bet everyone will think you're the _real_ White Swan!"

"Thanks!" Tammy giggled. "Wait until you see Vanessa!"

Hilary blinked. "Vanessa?"

"Mmhm!"

"I didn't think Vanessa was coming with us," Hilary admitted. "She said she wasn't interested."

"Yeah, but I didn't want her to stay here without us!" Tammy chirped. "So I convinced her to come!"

"No she didn't. She _made_ me."

Tammy laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck as Vanessa slowly descended the stairs, looking _and_ sounding less than pleased. She was dressed almost identically to Tammy, except her costume was black instead of white.

"You two have matching costumes, that's adorable!" Hilary squealed, her eyes sparkling. "I _have_ to take pictures!"

"No, please don't," Vanessa groaned, slumping her shoulders. There was no getting out of it, however, as Hilary had already gotten a hold of her phone. Alan snickered, earning a vicious glare from his elder sister.

"Vanessa, you shouldn't be embarrassed," Tyson assured his older daughter with a smile. "You look really pretty! And you're doing something nice for your little sister."

"Yeah!" Tammy agreed, grabbing her sister's hand. "That's why you're my favorite, Vanny!"

Vanessa perked up at the title, while Alan stopped snickering. "Really? Your favorite?"

Tammy grinned and nodded her head.

"Well, I guess I can live with being dressed like this for a _little while_ ," Vanessa conceded, finally offering her mother a noticeable smile.

"Aw, that's my girls!" Hilary giggled, snapping another picture of the two.

As she lowered her phone, Tammy glanced over at Alan, and shot him her own sneaky smile. "Alan, what're _you_ dressing up as?"

"Nothing," Alan scoffed, obviously still annoyed by Tammy's declaration that Vanessa was her favorite sibling. "I may not be too old for trick or treating, but I'm _definitely_ too old to be dressing up."

"That doesn't make any sense," Vanessa muttered, narrowing her eyes.

Tammy, however, simply bent her lips into a frown. "You can't go out without a costume!"

"Sure I can," Alan replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Alan, it _is_ going to look a bit silly when both Vanessa and Tammy are dressed up," Hilary reasoned with her son.

" _And_ Tucker," Vanessa added, pointing towards the dog. He was wearing a pointy, witch-like hat that flopped over on one side.

"He's the evil sorcerer who turns me into a Swan," Tammy giggled.

"Rrawww!" the dog playfully growled, trying to stress his role.

"Nah, I'll be fine," Alan refuted, waving a hand to shake off the idea.

Vanessa and Tammy exchanged glances before looking towards their father, both of them frowning. Tyson's breath caught as soon as he saw them, and he slowly turned his attention onto Alan. "Buddy, come on. It's only for a few hours. Why don't you just join in on the fun?"

"Because it's not fun," Alan deadpanned.

Tyson sighed. He knew he didn't have a choice. Stepping forward, he leaned over to be closer to his son's ear and whispered, "Alan, if you do this for your sisters, I'll help you pull off one of the greatest tricks ever."

Alan raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested in the proposition. "Really?"

"Yeah," Tyson assured him. "And all you have to do is wear a costume for a little while. Deal?"

Alan thought about it for a moment before breaking out into a toothy grin. "Deal!"

"Yay!" Tammy cheered. "I have the perfect costume for you, Alan!"

"Great!" Alan cheered. "Bring it on!"

 **XXX**

"I should've never agreed to this."

Vanessa slapped a hand over her mouth to try and muffle her laughter, while Tammy circled her brother with a look of admiration.

"Why? You look so good!" Tammy squeaked. "I bet you could even find a girlfriend dressed like that!"

Alan's face actually managed to turn redder. Since Tammy was fully committed to the Swan Lake theme, she had given Alan a prince costume, complete with a jeweled crown and a bright red jacket trimmed in gold.

"Alan's already got a girlfriend," Vanessa teased. "But we _could_ send her some pictures…"

"I do not have a girlfriend!" Alan bit, his hands balling up into fists at his sides. "And you're not sending pictures to anybody!"

The sound of a camera snapping went off, and Alan whipped around with fury in his eyes. Hilary's phone was back in her hands, but as soon as she saw Alan was now facing her, she grinned sheepishly and lowered the phone.

"Sorry, I just can't help myself!" Hilary giggled. "You look _so handsome!_ Your grandmother is going to love this!"

"Let's just get this over with," Alan grumbled.

"I thought you were excited to go trick or treating!" Tammy cried.

"Yeah, just to get candy," Alan scoffed, holding his pillowcase out for emphasis. "I didn't think I'd be all dressed up like this! Now it's just humiliating."

"You know, you used to _love_ wearing a costume," Hilary sighed as she reminisced. "Your favorite was when you dressed up like your father."

"Heh, that was my favorite too," Tyson chuckled at the memory.

"Yeah, well, I'm a little too old for costumes now," Alan refuted, his cheeks turning pink.

"But you're not too old to go trick or treating?" Vanessa questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I'm not!" Alan groaned. "Come on. We're wasting precious time!"

And with that, the boy stomped off, still annoyed by the whole situation. Vanessa and Tammy simply giggled at their brother's misery, which caught their mother's attention.

"You two really had to aggravate your brother like that, huh?" She questioned.

"It's not our fault Alan gets bothered so easily," Vanessa nonchalantly replied. "Want to catch up with him, Tam? Before he takes every piece of candy from every single house."

"Yeah!" Tammy chirped. "Let's go!"

The two girls ran off in the same direction as their brother, managing to catch up with him quite easily. Hilary wasn't concerned about staying too close; Alan and Vanessa were older and experienced Beybladers used to traveling on their own at this point, after all. She knew Tammy was in good hands with them. But she started to head that way as well, albeit much more slowly. Tyson walked alongside her, in the meantime.

"They sure are funny," Tyson chuckled, casting a glance over at his wife.

"They get it from their parents," Hilary teased with a smirk.

"Hey, that's a nice compliment!" Tyson crowed.

"I can give those every once in a while," Hilary confirmed. "Anyway, I think this is really nice: not having to chase after the kids from house-to-house. They're all old enough now that we can give them some space!"

"I kind of miss the chasing," Tyson admitted.

"You would," Hilary sighed, though she was still smiling.

"I just think it was really nice of Alan and Vanessa to come home so they could be here for Tammy on Halloween," Tyson continued, watching as the kids ran up to their first house and rang the bell. "Although they might be regretting it at this point."

"Alan more so than Vanessa," Hilary snickered. "He's a tough boy, but it's never easy when Vanessa and Tammy team up. And the older they get, the more they seem to do it."

"You're telling me," Tyson muttered. "I always fall for their little tricks!"

"You mean like before?" Hilary questioned, raising an eyebrow. "The whole reason Alan had to wear a costume?"

"Yeah, but it's fine, I convinced him," Tyson replied, his eyes widening when he realized he'd said a bit too much.

"Convinced him?" Hilary repeated, sounding cautiously curious. "How?"

"It was no big deal," Tyson refuted, trying his best not to get flustered. Hilary couldn't know about his promise to help Alan pull off a wild trick! "Just with some…candy. I told him I'd share my candy with him."

Hilary didn't seem convinced, but she dropped the conversation, which was enough to ease Tyson's mind.

"Man, that house was great!"

Tyson and Hilary both turned their heads to see their son and daughters walking back towards them, although Alan was the one who seemed particularly pleased.

"They had full-sized candy bars," Alan continued, holding one up for emphasis.

"The rich always have the best Halloween candy," Tyson sighed knowingly.

"Tyson!" Hilary hissed.

"What?" Tyson innocently asked. "It's true."

"I even got an extra one just for you, Dad!" Alan added, handing another bar over to his father.

"Yes!" Tyson cheered, accepting the candy. "Thanks, champ!"

"We're gonna head to the next house," Vanessa announced, nodding her head to the side.

"Yeah, I bet there are more full-size candy bars all down this street!" Tammy cheered, pointing in the same direction Vanessa had just nodded towards.

"Mmm, I might have to join this time…" Tyson mused, rubbing his chin.

Hilary smirked and rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"Hilary, anybody at any age can appreciate free, full-sized candy bars," Tyson reasoned with her.

"Of course, my mistake," Hilary droned. "Go ahead. I'll take up the rear."

"Let's go!" Tammy shouted, taking a running start. Vanessa followed suit, but Tyson and Alan followed behind at a slower pace.

"So, what's this 'greatest trick ever' you promised to help me with?" Alan asked, dropping his voice low so Hilary wouldn't overhear him.

Tyson quickly glanced from side-to-side before replying, "It's one that I used to pull all the time as a kid. Did you bring that rubber bat with you?"

"Yeah, it's in my pillowcase," Alan confirmed.

"And the invisible string and powder bomb?"

Alan furrowed his brow "I have all of it. I just don't get what it's for."

"Well, I'll show you," Tyson chuckled slyly. "But first we have to find a good spot to hide out and pull it off from."

"Which would be fine if we weren't surrounded by everyone else," Alan grumbled, nodding towards his sisters and mother. "How are we supposed to get away from them?"

Tyson smirked at his son's inquiry. "You've still got a lot to learn about pulling off high quality tricks, champ. Watch."

He backtracked until he was back at pace with Hilary, who seemed confused by his sudden move.

"May I help you?" She teased.

"Alan and I just overheard some kids talking about a house up ahead that's giving out giant bags of candy," Tyson smoothly replied. "You okay with us going over to check it out?"

"Yeah, you don't have to ask me for permission," Hilary snickered. "You _are_ an adult, you know."

"I do, but I like to check with you first," Tyson purred, winking at her.

"Aw, aren't you the sweetest?" Hilary crooned, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Hey! Quit making out! There's too many kids around!"

Hilary raised an eyebrow and turned her head to shoot her youngest daughter, the source of that protest, an icy look. "Kids like you?"

"Yeah," Tammy coolly confirmed.

Hilary sighed and refocused on Tyson. "You and Alan head over to that other house. I'll stay with the girls. And try not to lose patience with our _precious_ youngest daughter."

"I have faith in you," Tyson chuckled, patting his wife's shoulder before calling to Alan, "come on, champ! Let's go check out that house!"

Alan robotically nodded his head and followed after his father. The two hurried along the sidewalk, moving at a brisk but even pace. For a moment, Alan thought his father really was taking him to a house, but that was settled as soon as Tyson motioned towards a large oak tree standing at the corner.

"A tree?" Alan questioned.

"This one is perfect," Tyson muttered, nodding his head. "Alright, let's hide behind the trunk. Make sure no one sees us!"

Alan looked around before slinking after his father, squaring up his shoulders to make himself as slim as possible. It wasn't all that hard, considering Alan was already a relatively thin and average heighted boy, but he didn't want to get caught before he and his dad could pull off this "really cool" prank.

"Now what?" Alan asked, keeping his voice low.

"Take the invisible string and tie it around the rubber bat," Tyson instructed. "Then we'll throw it over one of the branches. But don't hang it low enough so anyone can see it. Keep it hidden in the leaves."

Alan grabbed the string and looped it around the middle of the bat, tying it good and tight so the fake toy wouldn't slip out. Once he was sure it was secure, he tossed it over the lowest tree limb, but made sure to keep his arms rigid so it wouldn't slide down too low and make itself visible.

"Great," Tyson complimented his son. "Now all we have to do is wait for someone to come by. Once they get close enough to the tree, I'll throw the powder bomb to confuse them, and then you can lower the rubber bat so that's the first thing they see once the smoke clears."

"Can I swing it around so it looks like it's flying?" Alan breathed excitedly.

"Of course, that's the best way to do it!" Tyson chuckled.

Alan grinned and peered slyly around the tree. "Oh! Some people are coming!"

"Great!" Tyson cheered. "Oh, wait…they're not really little kids, are they? I may like playing tricks, but I'm not a jerk."

"Nah, they're bigger kids," Alan refuted.

"That's okay, they probably won't get _too_ scared," Tyson decided. "Are they close enough for me to throw the powder bomb?"

"Almost…almost…now!"

Tyson quickly threw his arm back and tossed the small ball of packed white powder. It evidently hit the sidewalk and burst, causing his and Alan's victims to shriek loudly. Alan lowered the bat and watched intently as the powder began to clear. Once it did, he could see the rubber toy was perfectly positioned only inches away from the kids, which caused them to scream even louder and grab onto one another out of fear.

"That was so cool!" Alan laughed wildly.

"Told you it was a good one!" Tyson crowed, laughing just as much as his son.

"Vanessa! Tammy! Are you both ok-BAT!"

Tyson and Alan quickly stopped laughing.

"Um…that didn't sound good…" Alan stammered.

Tyson groaned and jumped up, stepping out from behind the tree. Indeed, Vanessa and Tammy were cowering together, Hilary not far behind them.

"Guys, it's alright!" Tyson assured them, making lowering motions with his hands. "It's not a real bat!"

" _What?!_ " Hilary squealed, throwing her arms down. "How do you know…wait a second, did you just come out from behind that tree?!"

"Uh…yeah…" Tyson sheepishly admitted.

"Daddy, you pulled a trick on us?!" Tammy yelled.

"I didn't realize it was you guys!" Tyson cried.

"You shouldn't be pulling tricks on _anybody_!" Hilary stormed. "You're a grown man, Tyson!"

"I can still like tricks…" Tyson murmured, poking his fingers together.

"You are impossible," Hilary growled. "You told me that you and Alan were going ahead to another house! You totally lied to me! And where is he?"

"Um…he's uh-"

"He's still behind the tree, isn't he?" Vanessa deadpanned.

Before Tyson could answer, Tammy stomped forward and smacked the rubber bat out of her way, peering around the tree trunk.

"You're a jerk!" Tammy screamed.

"Yeah, he's behind the tree," Vanessa sighed.

"Alan, get out from behind there!" Hilary ordered.

Alan quickly reappeared, his eyes set wide and his face pale. Hilary, however, immediately turned her attention back onto Tyson.

"You are such a bad influence," she sighed.

"Come on, Hil, we were just having a little fun!" Tyson cried.

"It's not fun to scare people," Tammy argued.

"Tammy, you scare people all the time," Alan reminded his younger sister.

"Yeah, but not like _that_ ," Tammy scoffed. "That fake bat is creepy!"

"Did you do this because Tammy made you dress up?" Vanessa questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Kind of, yeah," Alan admitted. He saw no point in lying. "Tam may think this dumb group costume thing is fun, but I happen to think pulling tricks is fun."

"So you did this for revenge," Vanessa concluded.

"Revenge is such an ugly word," Alan sighed, shaking his head.

"Alright, how about we just drop this?" Tyson decided. "Alan got to have his fun, and it really wasn't _that_ bad. Now we can keep on trick or treating…without the trick part."

"We can drop this _for now_ ," Hilary corrected. "You two aren't off the hook for this little stunt."

"Hilary…"

"Do you want to get any more candy this Halloween, Tyson?"

The Beyblader grimaced and let out a short puff of air. "Yes."

Tammy giggled at the interaction, while Alan and Vanessa silently furrowed their brows.

"Then pick up the pace," Hilary commanded. "And I'll deal with you and Alan when we get home."

"Alright kids, you heard your mother," Tyson announced, clapping his hands together. "Let's go!"

He ran ahead of the rest of the family, leaving them behind in a bewildered state.

"Dad really does love Halloween," Vanessa noted.

"Just for the candy and the tricking, though," Tammy added.

"Well yeah, those _are_ the best parts," Alan stressed.

"Not the tricking," Hilary patiently reminded her son.

"I think it is!" Alan cried.

"Do _you_ want more candy, Alan?"

The boy grumbled and tightened his hands into fists at his sides. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going."


	57. Chapter 57:Hot Chocolate

Eyes sparkled as their grandmother walked over to them with a colorful mug in both hands.

"We have to let them sit for a little while, okay?" Johanna sweetly instructed the two. "They're very hot!"

"Hot?" Vanessa repeated, tilted her head.

"Yes," Johanna confirmed. "See the steam coming from them?"

She pointed towards the top of one of the mugs, where visible vapor was rising into the air. Alan and Vanessa both leaned in to get a better look at the fog before nodding their heads.

"That's why they call it hot chocolate," Hilary added, smiling at her mother as she placed another mug in front of her. "It wouldn't be nearly as good if it were warm or cold!"

"But you can't dwink it hot," Alan complained.

"That's true," Hilary mused. "But only when it's _too_ hot! Like right now. It's okay to drink it once it's less hot."

Alan furrowed his brow and grabbed his head. "Dat's ca-foosing!"

"Confusing?" Hilary giggled. "Maybe just a little."

"I can't wait to see them drink hot chocolate for the first time," Johanna commented, carrying her own mug over to the table. "I bet they're going to love it!"

"Anything with sugar is good by them," Hilary snickered. "I'm fully expecting them to drink the whole thing and be absolutely wired for the next few hours."

"The joys of having children," Johanna giggled, pulling out a chair and taking a seat at the table.

"I don't mind sugaring them up and siccing them on their father," Hilary quipped, her eyes twinkling with mischievousness. "Tyson needs to spend some good one-on-one time with them after an entire day at the BBA. Wait…is it one-on-one or one-on-two?"

"I believe one-on-two," Johanna helpfully replied.

"Guess it doesn't matter," Hilary sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Half the time it feels more like one-on-a hundred. Two-on-fifty if Tyson and I work together."

Johanna giggled, but abruptly stopped when she realized her grandson was reaching out towards one of the mugs. "Alan, sweetie, not yet! They're still too hot!"

The boy pouted in response. "Grammy, I wan- it."

"I know, baby, but I don't want you to burn yourself," Johanna reasoned with the antsy preschooler. "There might be a way we can cool it down quicker, though! Do you want to try?"

Alan rapidly nodded his head. Twittering, Johanna got up from her seat and headed over to the cabinet, pulling out a bag of mini marshmallows. Both Alan and Vanessa began to clamor for them, earning a snicker from their mother.

"More sugar?" She teased.

"Might as well go all the way, right?" Johanna whimsically questioned.

Hilary showed off a sideways smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Go big or go home!"

Johanna opened the bag and offered it to her grandchildren. "Do you two want to put your own marshmallows in?"

"Ya!" They both squealed.

"Okay, let's take turns now," Johanna softly requested. "Alan, do you want to be a little gentleman and let your big sister go first?"

Alan didn't seem thrilled, but he managed to squeak out an, "okay."

"That's so nice of you, buddy!" Hilary fussed. "Vanessa, what do you say to your brother?"

"Thank you," Vanessa babbled, giving Alan a quick hug and small kiss atop his head.

"Aw, so sweet!" Hilary chirped.

Johanna handed the bag over to Vanessa. "Just pull some out and put them in your mug. As many as you want!"

Vanessa nodded and reached into the bag, pulling out a small fistful of mini marshmallows and dropping them in one of the mugs. "Done!"

"That's enough?" Johanna asked.

"Uh huh," Vanessa murmured.

"Alright," Johanna laughed. "Your turn, Alan!"

The little boy happily accepted the plastic bag from his sister and pulled out as many of the mini marshmallows as he could, tossing them in his own mug. Some of the marshmallows tumbled out onto the floor. Alan then repeated this action again, and attempted a third time before Hilary gently grabbed his wrist.

"Sweetie, let's have a little bit of hot chocolate with our marshmallows," Hilary playfully requested.

"Mommy, I wike mawshmallows," Alan informed her.

"Yeah, they're really tasty," Hilary agreed. "But if you fill your mug with them, you're not going to be able to taste any of the hot chocolate! And that's really tasty too."

She managed to wrestle the bag away from her son and placed it towards the end of the table where he wouldn't be able to reach it again.

"They should be cool enough to try now," Johanna murmured, touching the outside of each mug. "Yes, perfect! Now they're just warm."

"Alright, you two," Hilary breathed, pulling the mugs towards the children. "Make sure you hold on with both hands, okay? And take small sips."

Alan and Vanessa excitedly grabbed onto their mugs and lifted them up towards their lips, taking a small, quick sip to follow their mother's orders. As soon as they put them down, they showed off big, goofy smiles, earning laughter from their mother and grandmother.

"What do you guys think?" Hilary asked. "Yummy?"

"Ya!" They both squealed, lifting up the mugs to take another sip each.

"Oh we've created a couple of monsters," Hilary sighed, smirking at her mother-in-law.

"The cutest monsters I ever have seen!" Johanna exclaimed.

The front door of the house opened up, although no one inside seemed alarmed or even surprised. Tyson poked his head in.

"Did you have a nice time?"

"It would've been a lot better if it wasn't _freezing_ out," Tyson grumbled, yanking the scarf off from around his neck. "But Trevor and Elsa were nice enough to give me some extra firewood so we don't have to trek out there again any time soon."

"Ah, that _was_ nice of them!" Johanna agreed. "Of course, that doesn't surprise me. Those two are always looking out for everyone else!"

Tyson nodded as he pulled off his gloves and began to unbutton his winter coat. "Hey, you guys are having hot chocolate?"

"Mmhm," Hilary hummed. "Mom made you a mug."

"Thanks, Mom!" Tyson chirped, hanging up his coat before stepping into the kitchen and stopping behind the chairs of his two children. "Huh, they look like they're having a great time with theirs."

"I wasn't exactly expecting the hot chocolate experiment to bomb, but the reception has been even better than I thought it would," Hilary giggled. "Those two have barely said a word since we let them take their first sips."

"I hope you guys put marshmallows in there," Tyson spoke to the kids, causing them to swivel around to look at him. "That's the best part!"

"We did, Daddy," Alan confirmed.

"Gwammy gave us!" Vanessa added.

"Okay, good!" Tyson pretended to breathe a sigh of relief. "I was worried."

"No wowwy!" Vanessa refuted.

"I'm not now," Tyson chuckled. "You guys put that to rest!"

"Alan actually tried to dump the entire bag into his mug," Hilary snickered. "I managed to stop him just in time."

"He gets that from me," Tyson admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I used to do the same thing all the time as a kid. I liked to see how long it would take Grandpa to realize what I was up to."

Hilary smiled at the kids, who were back to quietly drinking from their own mugs. "Isn't it nice that Daddy was a bit mischievous when he was your age?"

"Uh huh," Vanessa squeaked once she'd swallowed her latest sip.

"Would you ever be mischievous?" Hilary asked.

"Nuh uh," Vanessa quickly refuted.

"No, didn't think so," Hilary snickered.

"I don't blame them," Tyson said, taking a seat at the table and moving his mug closer.

"Mowe!"

Hilary blinked and glanced down at her son, who was holding his mug out towards her. "More what? Hot chocolate?"

Alan nodded his head, and her eyes widened.

"Did you really drink that whole thing?!" Hilary gasped, gently raking the mug from the young boy and peering inside. "My gods, you're like a drain."

She had muttered it, not meaning for Alan to hear, but he must've because he started laughing wildly. Hilary sighed and put the mug down on the table, offering her giggly son a sheepish smile.

"I think that's enough for one night, little guy," Hilary reasoned with him. "There was a _lot_ of sugar in there."

"I wan- mowe," Alan whined, sinking down in his chair.

Tyson raised an eyebrow and glanced at the clock that hung above the kitchen doorway. "It is getting pretty late, for those two anyway. You really thought it was a good idea to let them drink those before bed?"

"No," Hilary quickly replied. "I just thought we'd deal with it when we got to it."

"And now we've gotten to it?" Tyson deadpanned.

Hilary took a sip of her own hot chocolate before lowering the mug. "Just about."

Alan suddenly jumped up straight in his seat, his lips bending up into an almost twisted smile. "I wanna pway! I wanna pway!"

Before anyone could respond, Alan jumped out of his chair and went flying out of the kitchen, practically yodeling as he bolted into the next room.

"Mmm, there's the sugar rush," Hilary sighed, resting her head in her hand.

Tyson's face, meanwhile, seemed to reflect a sense of disbelief. "He just went from zero to 60 in half a second."

"Yeah, our son never ceases to amaze me," Hilary breathed, shaking her head as she lowered her hand. "I could write a book, I swear."

"That would make an excellent sequel to the book I could write about Tyson," Johanna mused, earning an unimpressed look from her son-in-law.

"You could make a _ton_ of money off of that," Hilary remarked. "I would seriously consider writing that book."

"Hilary!" Tyson whined.

"What?" Hilary innocently replied. "I just want to see my mother make a small fortune! It was a nice comment."

"For you guys, maybe," Tyson grumbled, taking a sip of his own hot chocolate.

"I'm gonna _fwy!_ "

The three adults in the kitchen exchanged looks of concern once they heard _those_ words come out of Alan's mouth from the next room over.

"The worst part of them not being able to make every sound a letter should is not understanding every word they're trying to say," Hilary sighed. "I have no idea if he means 'fry' or 'fly'."

"Either way, it's not good," Tyson muttered.

"I'll go check on him," Johanna offered. "Let's see if I can wrangle that sugared up little boy!"

"Thanks, Mom," Tyson sighed tiredly, taking another sip of his hot chocolate.

Vanessa, on the other hand, pushed hers away and flew out of her chair, speeding after her grandmother. "I wanna come! I pway! I pway too!"

Tyson shot his wife a wide eyed stare, who shrugged in response. "Alright, so the hot chocolate was a mistake. Sue me."

"You'd better have something special up your sleeve if we're going to be up all night with these maniacs," Tyson quipped, nodding towards the doorway where Alan and Vanessa's excited squeals could be heard drowning out Johanna's calm pleading.

"I always have something special up my sleeve," Hilary smoothly assured him. "You've just got to stay sane enough to get it."

Alan and Vanessa both shrieked simultaneously. Tyson groaned and tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling as Hilary smirked at him.

"God is testing us."


	58. Chapter 58: Swimming Lessons!

"Man, look at Vanessa go!"

Hilary giggled at Tyson's impressed comment. "Of course! You know how fast she is in the water!"

"Yeah, but this is like extreme," Tyson whistled. "I actually think she's going even faster than Alan!"

Raising an eyebrow, Hilary watched more closely as her two children completed their latest race against one another in the pool. Vanessa was a decent length ahead of her brother, and managed to reach out and touch the wall well before he did. Her head popped up from beneath the water, beaming and giggling as her brother finally reached the wall himself.

"I won!" Vanessa squealed, bobbing up and down in the water. "Again!"

"Are you cheating?" Alan whined, unable to believe he couldn't beat his sister.

"No," Vanessa calmly argued. "I'm just really fast! Kinda like a mermaid."

Alan sulked and turned around, slowly swimming towards the side of the pool closest to his parents. Vanessa raised an eyebrow and followed after him, not keen on being left out of whatever it was he was about to do.

"Mom, Dad, I can't beat Vanessa," Alan grumbled, gripping onto the edge of the pool as he scowled up at them.

"Winning isn't everything, Alan," Hilary patiently reminded her son.

"Mom's right," Tyson chimed in. "Besides, I think you're probably just a bit faster on land! Vanessa's got the edge in the water."

"It's cause I'm like a mermaid!" Vanessa repeated, her eyes glimmering.

"Yeah, that's a good explanation," Tyson chuckled.

"But I wanna be fast in the water too!" Alan complained.

"You _are_ fast in the water, Alan," Hilary tried. "You still swim much faster than most kids your age!"

"Yeah, but I'm not racing _them_ ," Alan grumbled.

"I think maybe it's time to take a break from racing," Hilary suggested. "Why don't you two play a different game instead?"

"Like what?" Vanessa squeaked, tilting her head.

Hilary walked over to a nearby basket and pulled out four colorful rings, tossing them into the water. The kids whipped around and watched them sink towards the bottom of the pool, gasping before quickly diving after them.

"They love those things," Hilary laughed.

"Hey Hil, do you think maybe we should put Vanessa on a swim team or something?"

Hilary's ears perked at the suggestion. "A swim team?"

"Well yeah," Tyson replied, shrugging his shoulders. "She's really good at racing in the water! And she seems to like it. Besides, I know she's gotten a lot less shy, but a little extra socialization couldn't hurt. I bet she could make some new friends!"

"You know, my grandma put me on a swim team when I was about Vanessa's age," Hilary mused.

"Did it go over better than the dancing did?" Tyson asked warily, recalling the horror stories his wife had told him.

"Yes," Hilary sighed, annoyed that Tyson had remembered those tales. "I always loved anything that had to do with the water, so swim team was right up my alley! It didn't hurt that I was super competitive."

"Hurt or help?" Tyson teasingly questioned.

"Stuff it," Hilary grumbled.

"Come on, think about it!" Tyson urged, gently elbowing his wife. "It could really be great for Vanessa."

"You're not wrong, but that's not exactly our choice to make," Hilary responded. "Vanessa is old enough now to decide what she does or doesn't want to do. So I think we'll have to ask her and let her make that decision."

"Fair enough," Tyson relented. "Guess we can bring it up to her later!"

 **XXX**

"Hey Vanessa, Mommy and I have a question for you!"

The young girl picked her head up from the book she was reading, looking slightly alarmed. Tyson understood that look right away and chuckled.

"You're not in trouble, princess," Tyson informed her.

"Oh," Vanessa squeaked, placing the book in her lap. "Okay!"

"We were really impressed by how fast you can swim," Tyson began. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I _love_ swimming!" Vanessa giggled. "It makes me feel like a mermaid."

"That's why Daddy and I were thinking you might like to join a swim team," Hilary continued. "Does that sound like something you'd like to do?"

Vanessa blinked. "What's that?"

"A swim team?" Hilary asked, Vanessa nodding her head. "Oh. It's just like Alan's baseball team, except with swimming! You'd get to race other kids in the pool and try to win."

Vanessa's jaw dropped. "They have those?!"

Hilary laughed joyfully at her daughter's reaction. "Yes, they do! I was on one when I was your age."

The young girl discarded her book to the other side of the couch and jumped up to her knees, beaming at both of her parents. "I want to do that! It'd be so much fun!"

"Awesome!" Tyson cheered. "We can take you to the pool tomorrow and you can show the coaches how great at swimming you are!"

That suggestion caused Vanessa to shrink back. "Huh? Show them? In our pool?"

"Well yeah, you've got to show them all of your different skills," Tyson replied. "That way they know the right team to put you on!"

"But it won't be in the pool we always go to," Hilary added. "We'll have to go to the aquatic center."

Vanessa frowned. "What if they don't think I'm good?"

"They're going to think you're great!" Tyson assured her. "Besides, they don't want to judge you or anything like that. They just want to do what's best for you!"

"Daddy's right," Hilary agreed. "You wouldn't want to end up the wrong team, right? Where the other kids are too slow or too fast?"

Vanessa thought for a moment before hesitantly shaking her head.

"If you're uncomfortable, you can always back out," Hilary continued. "But I think it'd be good for you to give it a try! What do you say?"

Vanessa remained silent for a short time once again. She then smiled timidly and nodded her head, much to her parents' delight.

"That's my girl!" Tyson boasted. "Don't worry, Van. We'll be there for you all the way!"

 **XXX**

Tokyo was quite proud of its history with the water, so naturally the Aquatic Center was a big hit amongst many citizens. The star attraction of the building, of course, was the gigantic pool used for everything from swimming lessons to exercise classes. The aquatic center was also home to youth swimming teams.

Vanessa stood by the side of that large pool, anxiously pulling at the thick straps of her blue swimsuit. Her parents sat on a bench nearby, Alan impatiently looking around the room and baby Tammy snoozing in her carrier.

When they'd first walked in, Vanessa had been introduced to one of the swimming coaches: Shira. She was a kind, younger woman who had managed to quell Vanessa's nerves well enough. That was, however, until they'd actually gotten to the pool. It was so big that it made the gym pool seem like nothing, and all of a sudden Vanessa was panicking again.

"You don't have to be nervous, Vanessa," Shira informed the young girl, leading her to look over her shoulder. "I just want to see what you can do!"

"…okay," Vanessa murmured unsurely.

"How about we get in the water?" Shira offered. She walked past the little girl, sitting on the edge of the pool and sliding in. "Do you know how to get in like that?"

Vanessa silently nodded her head. She walked closer to the pool, sitting down and sliding in just as Shira had done.

"Good job!" Shira complimented the little girl. "Now, can you hold onto the edge and blow bubbles?"

Vanessa nodded once again and gripped the edge of the pool, sticking her face halfway into the water in order to blow bubbles.

"Very nice!" Shira crooned. "How about kicking the water? You can still hold onto the edge of the pool while you do it."

Alan groaned and rolled his eyes. " _Everyone_ can do this stuff!"

"Shh," Hilary hushed the boy.

"What?" Alan whined. "They can!"

"Just because you and Vanessa can doesn't mean _everyone_ can," Hilary reminded her son. "Besides, it isn't all about what she can do, you know. They also ask her to do all of this to make sure she can follow instructions!"

"Vanessa can follow –structions really good," Alan replied. "Much more good than me!"

Back in the pool, Vanessa had finished kicking the water while holding onto the wall, and was now beginning to show off a bit more of a smile as Shira spoke to her. That was pretty much how Vanessa operated: she remained wary of anyone she didn't know until she started to feel more comfortable around them.

"Now, do you feel comfortable moving away from the wall?" Shira asked. Vanessa's smile widened as she nodded confidently, earning some surprise from Shira. "Oh! Well, perfect! Let's head this way!"

Shira moved away from the wall, closer to the center of the pool. Vanessa followed quickly behind, ready to do whatever Shira asked for next.

"Can you swim that way?" Shira asked, pointing straight ahead. "Just up to that rope right there?"

"Uh huh!" Vanessa chirped, quickly taking off in that direction. Shira's eyes widened when she saw Vanessa's speed, and even more when the little girl spun around and swam right back without being asked.

"My goodness, you are fast!" Shira marveled.

"Yeah!" Vanessa giggled. "I race my brother all the time, and I always win!"

Alan, who had heard that from the bench, crossed his arms and pouted. Shira giggled and continued, "Well, I think you would be just perfect on one of our swim teams! You are very good at swimming, Vanessa, but I can tell just how much you love it!"

"It makes me feel like a mermaid!" Vanessa chirped.

"That makes a lot of sense," Shira laughed. "Why don't we hop out of the pool? You can start drying off while I talk to your mommy and daddy."

Vanessa nodded and swam towards the pool later, grabbing on and climbing out with ease. Shira continued to look impressed as she followed the little girl out, heading towards the family on the bench while Vanessa retrieved her towel from a nearby hook.

"So?" Tyson asked as Shira got closer. "What do you think? She's good, right?"

"Tyson!" Hilary hissed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"She's _great_ ," Shira corrected, sounding completely in awe. "It's very unusual to see a kid her age with that kind of skill! She obviously practices a whole lot."

"She and her brother go swimming pretty much every day," Hilary replied, nodding towards Alan. "I took them in the pool for the first time when they were 2 months old and I've been giving them swimming lessons since they were 4 months old. So they've pretty much always been in the water!"

"That's a great way to approach it," Shira noted. "A lot of parents are afraid to put their kids in the water, but the younger you start them, the better! Of course, you know that. You are a brilliant swimmer!"

"I just didn't want them to ever be afraid of the water, truthfully," Hilary laughed nervously. "I've been doing the same thing with Tammy and it seems to be working out well with her too. She's only 6 months old, but she's very happy in the water."

"I bet she'll be just as good of a swimmer as her big brother and sister when she gets older," Shira giggled before bending at the knees to be at eye level with Alan. "What about you, little guy? Would you be interested in being on a swim team like your sister?"

Alan twisted his mouth and shook his head. "No, I like baseball! I just like to go swimming for fun."

Shira giggled and stood back up. "Well, at least he's honest!"

"Sometimes a little too much," Hilary sighed.

"Anyway, I really think Vanessa would do great on one of our swim teams," Shira continued. "She's a fantastic swimmer, but I can also tell she's a little bit shy. Once she warmed up to me, though, she was super sweet and becoming totally confident! If she joins a team like this with other kids, I really think it'll help her bring out that confidence even more."

"She's gotten so much better than she used to be," Tyson added. "This could really be the final push to get that shyness out of her system!"

Hilary hummed to herself and looked over towards Vanessa, who was skipping towards them with her towel wrapped around her. "She _does_ seem awfully happy…"

Vanessa skipped right into Tyson's arms, nestling herself against him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"There's my little princess!" Tyson chuckled. "Did you have fun in the pool with Shira?"

"Yeah!" Vanessa squeaked. "A lot of fun!"

"That's good," Tyson laughed. "So, do you think you'd like to swim on a team here?"

Vanessa rapidly nodded her head, and Tyson let out a little whistle. "I don't think I've ever seen her say 'yes' to something so fast! Well, other than dessert."

"Cool!" Alan cheered. "Now she can beat people in races who aren't me!"

Tyson's laughter became more nervous, while Hilary glanced over at Shira. "See? Just a _little_ too honest."


End file.
